Game, Set, Match

{4}

Chase

The coach ride is too long.

Unbearably long.

But the good thing is I've got the whole two back rows to myself. No one dares to sit anywhere near me. Not that I'm complaining. Niall and Stevie are jealous I get to miss the whole day of school just for one lousy match. But it's our first lousy match and it will set the tone for the rest to come.

I can hear the different conversations of the guys and that one girl talking about how excited and nervous they are about our first game. And even though everyone's talking. And even though he's sitting all the way in the front, I can hear his voice. Nate's voice. Clear as fucking day. I put on my headphones. Play my music and zone out.

I'm quite good at that. Zoning out.

"Alright Redington Wolves! Off the coach!" I jump at Coach Ray's whistle blaring in the small confines of the coach. I grab my bag from the empty seat beside me and walk down the aisle.

As I trail behind, Coach leads us into the other school where the other team and their coach stand. By their coach is, who I assume to be, the captain of the team and he's the one who greets us.

"Welcome Redington Wolves to Killsbury Academy. I'm the captain of the Killer Cranes, Leo and we just wanted to wish you guys a good game before we start."

I look across at the other team, eying the competition. We look like amateurs compared to them. They've got everyone on their team lined up side by side, all the guys around the same height and build. We, on the other hand, are a mixed group standing in some sort of huddle behind Coach.

"Thanks Lionel." Coach says. I'm not even too sure if he messed up the guy's name on purpose.

"Erm It's Leo."

"Leo, Lionel, Lenard. Same thing. I just gotta speak to my boys before the game." Coach says as he begins to rudely push past the team to their football pitch.

"Coach I'm here too!" Says the girl on the team but Coach is already on his way to the field.

"Ok!" Coach claps his hands excitedly and we huddle in. "This is it team. Our first game." He grabs the shoulders of the two guys closest to him. "Yes this is only a warm up game before the actual football season starts but it's still as important. I know we're inexperienced as a team but I also know that you lots are good. You guys have got skill and I want you pulling out your best tricks on those folks, you hear me? You guys have the advantage. Why? Because they haven't seen what you can do yet. They probably think we're terrible. But this is our chance to prove them wrong. This game here sets you up for the rest. So get on that field and go do yourselves proud."

The team start cheering and I watch them silently. The starting lineup take their positions on the field. I'm in the centre across Nate and when the starting whistle blows all hell breaks loose.

*

45 gruelling minutes later, the whistle signalling halftime blows and we have our well needed break.

"What do you call that?!" Coach yells, dramatically pointing at the empty field. "They're destroying us! 6-1?! 6-fucking-1?! You've got to be kidding me!" Our teachers aren't supposed to swear but it seems as though Coach Ray has completely forgotten about his job. Who am I kidding? He forgot he was a History teacher the second he became the coach.

I chug the cool water from my water bottle and wipe the sweat dripping from my forehead. I run my hand through my buzz cut and feel the blunt ends brush against my fingers.

We're losing. Badly.

Not that I expected us to do amazingly well. Come on, it's our first fucking game.

"You know what you lot need to do? Learn how to pass the fucking ball! We didn't spend 3 weeks passing for nothing! Tom you're off, Dylan get up off the bench you're on." Coach has gone mental. He looks like a raging bull and anyone of us could be his next target.

"We've got 45 minutes left. You turn this game around or so help me I will-" He cuts himself off before saying something that could potentially get him fired.

*
The game is done. There was no coming back.

The final scores being 10-2.

Coach is pissed. To be honest I am too.

"I've had enough of your bullshit Nate." I call as I angrily stomp towards him. He's sitting on the bench surrounded by a few of his mates but once they see me coming they run off.

"What's your problem?" He says, obviously still angry about the results of the match.

"If you had passed the fucking ball I would have been able to take more shots!" He stands at that.

"More shots? You had so many fucking chances to shoot and didn't take any!"

"How can I shoot when you're hogging the ball the whole damn time!" I can feel all my anger bubbling up in me, threatening to take over.

"Oh fuck off!" Nate counters and begins to walk away. Unfortunately for him, not far enough because I still manage to catch him calling me a bitch under his breath.

"What did you just call me?" I expected him to stay quiet, maybe even apologise. That's what someone who was afraid of me would have done.

But for some reason he isn't scared. That's what angers me the most. My fists have broken bones yet he doesn't flinch when I clench them.

"I said you're a-"

I don't let him finish his sentence.

Instead I punch him hard in the jaw.

He takes a couple steps back, caressing his jaw and spitting out blood staining the green grass red. He doesn't even take a second to rethink his actions before landing a heavy one on my cheek.

Before we know it were fighting in the middle of the pitch. Coach Ray and a couple of our teammates try to pull us apart while the other team are laughing their heads off. Some of them have even pulled out their phones.

So much for co-captains.