The Lost Son | Ferry's Tale # 2

The match

"I'm telling you, Ben, there's something wrong with Andrew," Ferry told his friend about what he had seen the night before.

They were on the side of the school's football field waiting for the selection of the football team to begin. Billy and Andrew were among the candidates. The latter seemed in great shape and nothing in his behaviour made him suspect that he was suffering from any illness. He looked like a different person than the feeble, sickly boy from the night before.

Ben shook his head: "Come on, Ferr, don't tell me you're going to start with this all over again. I thought we've already decided Andrew was just a normal boy. Maybe he's ill. Maybe he needs help, and he can't tell your dad. You don't know what the relationship between them is ..."

"I don't know ... I think he's hiding something ..."

"Aren't we all?" Ben replied. "Let's just watch the match, shall we? Look, everybody's here."

Indeed. Everyone had come to watch the selection for the football team, even on a cold, gloomy autumn day. It was an important competition for their high school, said Mr. Owen, the sports teacher.

Celia and her group passed them by as if they weren't there, although she did cast a short glance in their direction; so short, that no one else noticed it. Instead, they went to the boys on the football team with whom they changed a few words, laughing and giggling. One of the girls gave the captain of the team her scarf to bring him good luck. Danny Stevens, who'd been in the football team for several years, was joking about the situation, slightly envious that he hadn't received any scarf.

May and Steph were on the other side of the field. They were wearing thick coats and looked like they didn't want to be there. Steph waved her hands in their direction, while May smiled at Ferry. Since the Fires in the Hills, they hadn't spoken. Ferry thought she might, like him, be embarrassed about the kiss that didn't happen.

There was little until the start of the match, and almost all the high school students gathered on the side of the football field. And yet someone was missing.

"Where's Matt?" asked Ferry.

"I don't know," Ben said. "I haven't seen her in the last couple of days. She was busy training."

"That's what she told me," said Ferry. "What kind of training is she doing, anyway?" When Matilda entered the field, dressed in the equipment of the football team, both boys realised what kind of training Matilda was doing.

"Miss Harper, what do you think you're doing?" asked Mr. Owen, stepping closer.

"I'm here for the selection, of course. Haven't you said anyone was welcomed?"

Mr. Owen burst into a nervous laughter, "I did... I said any boy was welcomed."

 "You didn't make that clear enough," said Matilda, untroubled.

 But the sports teacher seemed like he was losing his patience, "Miss Harper, girls are not fit for this sport. You can try gymnastic. Or the majorette team."