Page 48 of Matched Up

She nodded.‘Lexie, I’d actually wanted to have a chat with you.Should we sit down for a minute?’She motioned to the same bench I’d just been sitting on with Shane.

‘Sure.’I glanced towards the shower block, willing him to stay out of sight.

Sadie stretched her leg and groaned.

‘You OK?’I asked.

Sadie never talked about her injury.There were rumours that she’d made a bad tackle, and some girl had got her own back and taken Sadie out entirely.

‘Ah yeah, just gets a bit stiff if I’m standing too long.I’m fine.But, Lexie, I meant it when I said that all this extra work of yours isn’t going unnoticed.I want you to start in our match on Friday.’

I couldn’t help myself.I threw myself at her.The least open-to-hugs person I’d ever met.She exhaled, and I panicked, wondering if I’d somehow hurt her leg.So I let go.

‘Thank you, Sadie, thank you so much.I won’t let you down.I promise.’I was buzzing inside about everything this meant.I was part of the first team.Me!

‘You remind me a bit of me at your age, Lexie.All I wanted in the world was to play for Northern Ireland.I did the extra training, I ate, slept and breathed football.It’s the right mindset if you really want something.And I think you’re ready.Do you?I mean, really?’She looked me dead in the eyes.

‘I know I am.’

‘Thought so.’Sadie put her hand on my shoulder, stood up and limped towards the door.I was about to head to the shower block when she turned round.‘Oh, just wondering how you got in here?You really shouldn’t be in the clubhouse out of hours.It would be an insurance nightmare if something happened.’

‘It was open,’ I blurted out with a shrug.

‘That’s strange.OK, well, no more clubhouse outside practice hours, OK?And keep up the good work.Stay focused.’

I waited until her footsteps disappeared up the corridor again before running round the corner to Shane.But he wasn’t there.Just an open window.

I looked at my phone.

SHANE: Sorry, had to catch the bus.Let me know what happened!

ME: I’m starting on Friday!!!!

SHANE: Fucking right!

ME: All thanks to an awesome coach ;)

SHANE: Nah, all down to you x

I waved at Sadie in the office as I walked past, a huge grin on my face.And whatever was going on between me and Niall, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I wanted to tell him.I thought about sending him a text message but decided to wait.I wanted to see his face when I told him.He was the only one who truly knew how much it meant to me.Even though we weren’t talking, and he was acting like an asshole, the old Niall had to be in there somewhere.This kind of news was bigger than a stupid fight.

And, even though I knew it wouldn’t happen, a tiny part of me couldn’t help hoping that maybe Sadie would put me forward for the Northern Ireland trials too.I drove home in a total blur of happiness, then got home to an empty house.

I watched Netflix, did some shooting practice, and ate the frozen pizza that Mum had bought before she left.Then I tidied up and checked outside for Niall’s car.

Niall got home around seven, his brakes screeching into the driveway.Mum and Dad would be raging if they’d seen him drive like that.

I probably should have guessed by the way he was driving, or the way he slammed the car door and looked at the ground that he was in a bad mood.But it didn’t register.I was too happy, too excited to share the news that I’d been dying to get since I started Westing FC.

He walked in the door and threw his keys on to the sideboard before starting up the stairs.

‘Hey, guess what?’I said, standing in the hallway grinning like an idiot.

‘What?’he said.

And Istilldidn’t catch on that this wasn’t the right time, that he was basically telling me to fuck off with his tone.

‘I’m starting in the match on Friday.’Even my voice was filled with glee.

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