Close - Ella Toone

Chapter 13

Gameday - 13:00

Madison's POV

"I can't eat! I'm going to be sick!" I said, proptly getting up from the table I was sat at.

"Calm down Madi!" Georgia said. "Just calm your nerves."

"Please, you have to eat sometihing we don't want you to pass out," Ella said.

"But if I do I'll throw up!"

"You won't!"

"Umm, Yes I will!"

"You don't have anything to throw up after last night!"

"What do you mean?" Georgi asked.

"Nothing, never mind," Ella said.

"Umm okay?"

"Get yourself together, Madison! You're going to be fine!"

I just yell back in Dutch and then German before taking a deep breath.

"Can you eat now please?" Ella pleaded with me.

"I'll try," I say taking a few small bites before stopping for a bit and taking deep breaths.

"There you are. You know you have to eat before games," She said wrapping her arm around me.

"Maybe I'm not good enough for this. What if I suck today? What if I just play horribly and never get a chance to play for the country again?" I say getting anxious again and bouncing my knee under the table.

"Madison, you're going to be the best one out there on the field today like you always I. You don't need to worry about this." She says moving her arm to rest her hand on my bouncing knee helping it to stop shaking.

"Madison, I was also nervous before my first international debut. I was so nervous I ended up forgetting my boots at the hotel and ended up having to borrow someone else's and once I got subbed in and touched the grass I realized it was as scary as I thought it would be. I know that the pitch feels like home to you and so you have nothing to worry about," Georgia told me.

"What if it's not? How do I trust you?"

"Just look at me, Madison. Look at me in my eyes." She said softly. "You can trust me. You know you can."

"I do, Geo," I told her.

__________________

(GAME NOT ACCURATE TO WHAT HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE)

17:00

"Girls, come in," Sarina said.

As we all grouped in, she told us the starting lineup.

"So in goal is, Mary Earps. Left-back Lucy Bronze. Centrebacks are Millie Bright and Demi Stokes. Right Back is Lotte Wubben-Moy. Midfielders are Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, and Georgia Stanway. Georgia is in the attacking midfield role. Up top on the left is Beth Mead. Center Ellen White. Right Lauren help. I'll tell you the subs later. Let's warm up girls."

I wasn't hurt at all that I wasn't starting. I'm a new player, and in all honesty, I didn't mind watching the team and getting the groove of things going. And honestly, I don't expect to get subbed in either. We are playing Belgium, and they are a really tough team.

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35th minute - England vs Belgium

Madison's POV

35th minute. The score is still 0-0. I watched intently as Ellen White dribbled up the field, Hemp a few steps in front of her, and Beth Mead a few steps behind. Defenders cover all 3 of them closely.

Ellen slid the ball to Lauren, a beautiful pass if I do say so myself, and as Lauren went to shoot, a defender slid in and kicked the ball out.

Lauren tripped over the girl and landed hard on her head.

All the girls on the bench gasped while I cursed in Dutch. The medical team quickly picked up their bags ready for if they needed to run onto the pitch.

"Crap," Sarina said as Beth motioned for the medics. "Lewis, get ready."

"Me?" I asked shocked not thinking I'd be played.

"There isn't any other Lewis," Rachel Daly said.

I curse myself in Dutch before quickly running to warm up a bit.

"Go Madison!" "Let's go Madi!" "You got this Madison!" my teammates on the bench cheered as I stood by midfield as the ref held up her sign, showing that I was coming on and Help was coming off.

I looked behind me to see that Lauren was heading straight into the changing room probably with a concussion.

As I ran onto the pitch, the crowd cheered really loud. I looked towards Beth, who was in the corner preparing to take it. I listened to Ellen and stood where she told me to stand. While waiting for the ball to be played their player kept putting their hands all over me and it was really starting to annoy me. 

Beth took the corner kick, putting the ball right on my head.

OWW!