Jamie Johnson Fanfic!

Scouted

I wondered down the corridor of the changing rooms, Zoe and Kat in front of me, arguing continuously all the way back from the pitch.

"Wait, Kat, please, just hear me out!" Zoe said to Kat who was trying to get into the changing room as fast as she could, probably hoping to avoid the conversation we all knew was coming.

"Why, so you can lie again?" Kat said, stopping and turning in the changing room to face a regretful Zoe.

"Okay, I admit it. It was me. But I didn't steal it, I found it in the girl's changing room. I was gonna give it back, but then I heard you bad-mouthing me to Ruby, saying that you thought I was a thief."

"But you could see how upset I was, I needed that pendant, Zoe!"

"I know Kat, and I'm really sorry. I'm a terrible person and I don't deserve any friends." The regret was clear in her tone of voice: she wasn't faking it.

Kat paused, probably contemplating whether this was worth loosing a mate over.

"Don't say that..." But Mike interrupted before she had a chance to finish.

"Right. We need to change this team around, because this current formation isn't working." He turned to me. "Perrie, I need to you to play a defensive midfield role, we need to defend more deeply."

"But i'm not a midfielder." I replied sharply.

"I know, but we need strength in that area, and don't worry, you can still score."

Score? I wasn't that shallow that people thought I only cared about scoring for myself, did they? I shook this thought out of my mind and focused on the game. Mike wanted to put me in midfield, then that's where I would play. And I would win.

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"Over here!" Zoe yelled and I kicked the ball in her direction, only to have it intercepted yet again like in the first half. I wasn't used to this position. It was so slow, unlike my normal centre-forward role. At one point I even sat down as there was no action on my side of the pitch. But then I tried to see the bright side: if the ball wasn't near me, it probably meant we were close to scoring. And sure enough, I heard the undeniable roar of the crowd and the ref's whistle.

In surprise, I stood up and made my way over to my teammates, we had a group hug and then spread out on the pitch, ready to win.

__________________________________________________

"That was a good game." I heard a voice from behind me speak from the shadows - a voice I recognised.

"Thanks. Didn't know you were there." I said, still facing away from the boy behind me.

"Yeah." Jamie said. "I was watching from the gates." 

"Why are you here? Why are you acting like nothing's happened?" I asked, 

He completely ignored my question, staying on the topic of the game.

"Jack's team are good; you did well to draw." He said.

"I know, I know." I said, still a little disappointed at our end result.

"I know you like to win, but at least something good came out of it." 

I turned to face him, spinning around like lightning. "What do you mean?"

"Mike, he just told me... Zoe and Kat have been scouted." 

"What? And not me?" I asked incredulously.

Then it hit me, how much I actually had wanted to be scouted. If Mike had just played me upfront, I could have been scouted too.

Trying to hide my disappointment, I just ended the conversation there, unable to face Jamie for any longer.

"I guess i'll see you around then." And I darted back inside.