new girl - leah williamson

chapter 27: debut dreams

i stand in the tunnel, stood behind leah.

kim little is stood in front of her.
now, it's the second game of the season. and the cherry on top? it's in the emirates.
i can here the staduim chanting, it feels alive.
who's name are they chanting?
stupid question. obviously mine.

leah turns to me,
"you okay?" she asks, knowing there could be some possible nerves.
the only answer i give is a shake of my head.

come on though leah, as if i'd be worried.
i know i'm the best on this team. call me cocky, or you could just say i know how good i am.
your pick, i'm personally fine with either.

i move one person back, so someone is between me and leah. let's just say, im can't even stand the thought of leah. i can't believe i let myself fall for her. it hurts to think about it.

we walk out onto the pitch, the stadium erupting in cheers.
as we stand, the starting lineup is announced.
cheers spill from the crowd as each name is announced, a note-able difference when mine gets called out, the stadium gets louder.

not even ten minutes into the game, i bag my first goal, and my third goal this season. from the edge of the box i blasted it, going straight over aston villas goalkeeper.

i ignore leah putting her hand out for a high five. she's being trying to talk to me for the week since it happened. but i don't want to talk to her, so i've just been minding my own business and ignoring hers.

light work.
they're going to have to try a little harder to stop me.

and it's clear aston villa get the memo after half time.

luckily for me, when i'm upset- well im never really upset, just angry. anyways, when i'm upset, i tend to play very well. even if it costs me a yellow card or two along the way.

i walk back out to start the next half.
the ball gets played back to their team, and immediately i can feel one of their players on my back. no doubtably man marking me.
we've learnt this before, no player marking me will stop me.
i press the ball straight away, running into their half, a villa player hot on my tail.

i manage to scavenge the ball soon enough, making a break through their midfield.
im met by a couple defenders blocking my way.
leah calls for the ball behind me, and with a quick back heel from me we're still in possession of the ball.
as i try spot some gaps in their team, we play the ball around, passing it effortlessly down the pitch until we've earnt ourselves a corner.
i stand near the goalie, a few defenders around me.
beth mead puts her hands up, notifying us she's ready to play the ball in. i get ready, making sure i'm on my toes, knowing it's coming it my direction.
i jump up, being restrained by someone tugging on my shirt. i fall hard to the ground.
before i know it, im up on my feet, pushing away their player.
i scavenge the ball back, attempting to take it past a player. the ball gets knocked out and i run to pick it up, wanting the corner to be taken quickly.

it clearly came off their player, not me. i hold the ball as one tries to grab it off of me. i hold it steady in my arm, before moving it behind me as another one of their players come over to us.
the ref gestures for a goal kick.
i shake my head, laughing at the refs stupidity, clearly, they're not fit to ref. that call was clear as daylight. i throw the ball behind me.

"ref! you not gonna give her anything for that?" one of their players appeals to the ref

"oh fuck off you dickhead" i say, turning back around.

"what the fuck did you just say to me?" i turn to face them again as the same number 88 says that. this whole game she's been nothing short of a bitch. jordan nobbs. my eyebrows scowling at them.

"you fucking heard me" i say, walking closer to them.

"who do you think you are? you really think you're all that."

"pretty much" i shrug. shoving her the player again.

"how about you listen to the ref, yeah? it's our ball"
the refs whistle blasts through the air as i take another step closer, and i get pulled away quickly by cately.

"don't loose your head, yeah?" steph says, trying to calm me down as the ref talks to their player.
the ref walks away, awarding them a goal kick.

"you're a fucking joke" i scoff at the ref, shaking my head.
and just like that, i've earnt myself a yellow. a soft decision if you ask me.
leah grabs my arm, taking me away as i get presented the yellow.

"soph stop, you know you're better. leave it. " she says sternly.

"oh piss off" i scoff, shaking her hand off of me. she has no right to touch me.

"give it a rest sophia, we need to talk later" she says, yeah mate no chance. i shake my head as i push my way past her, on my way to calmly talk to the ref.

the match ends, 3-1 to us, and i managed to bag myself another goal.

i would be stupid if i tried to lie and say it does make me jealous when i see a player in a match talk to leah, especially her ex jordon nobbs, who has just recently moved to aston villa.
i was lucky not to get a second yellow in the match against them when i made a very bad tackle against her.
im not denying i did it just because she's leah's ex. i saw her trying to talk to leah before the game, but i sorted it out pretty quick. even if i'm not on talking terms with leah, i still want her to be safe. that's all.

before the match:

as im stood a little distance away from leah, in the corner of my eye i see a familiar face walking up behind us, approaching.
she walks inbetween us.

"hey leah" she says
"can we talk?"

"yeah- um, of course" leah replies,
much to my disgust.

"i meant alone with leah" jordan replies, glaring at me.

"i know what you meant, honey. "
"go on then. talk" i reply before leah could, as i see leah worried face, and pleading eyes.

she shakes her head lauging.

"quite a biter you've got there leah. but i'm being serious. can we talk alone" jordan says, emphasizing the 'alone'.

"feel free to talk with her now, i won't interrupt" i say, getting more agitated.

"how about you let leah talk for herself"
"im sure she's dying to talk to me, aren't you leah?" leah stays silent. clearly looking a little uncomfortable. i take a step back, gesturing with my hands for jordan to go ahead and talk. but i'm not going any further away than i am now.

although me and leah haven't talked about our exes, specifically jordan, everyone knows something happened between them.
at arsernal, i've heard them mention it a couple times, but as soon as they see me come near, they shut up about it.
this only makes me more weary of jordan.
i wasn't going to make any assumptions about her, but from this short conversation we've already had, i'm not a fan. not at all.

"can you leave please?" leah asks jordan

"you don't actually want me to leah"
"you know you want me" jordan says in a more hushed tone, stepping closer to leah.

"i don't want you, i havent for a long time" she says, making me wonder when was the last time she did want her.

"it's obvious you do. im the best you've ever had, and you'll ever have " she says, glancing over to me, a rather displeased look on her face. it doesn't take einsteigen to work out she manipulated leah. the tone of her voice, her body language, all giveaways.

"you're not. " leah says sternly.

"come on baby"
i snapped.

"dont you fucking dare call her that. " i say, wrapping my arms out leah's waist. leah places her hand on mine on her side, giving it a small squeeze as she glances over to me.

"anything else you want from her?" i ask. jordan stays silent.
"good. " i say, and walk away with leah still close to my body.