Anyone Else But You

Chapter 14 - A Bomb goes Off

Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen - Fade into you

"I'm sorry I can't stay and watch you M&M, I really wish I could but we just got a big breakthrough in the case last night." Maddie looked at her dad in the driving seat of the car, today was going to be the first time her dad had missed her playing for the Stoke Newington Ladies ever. He'd even made it when he broke his arm, but today his work was too important and she could understand why; his team were chasing a cat burglar who'd gone uncaught for ten months.

"Don't worry about it dad, I said I'd go to the pub with the girls after the match anyway. I'll see you later." She picked up her kitbag from between her legs and climbed out of her dad's car.

"Good Luck! Knock 'em dead!" Maddie smiled to herself as she walked toward the changing rooms, it was freezing this morning and she was not looking forward to running around in a pair of shorts. She shivered and pushed through the door, Gemma and Becky had already arrived and were sitting chatting in their kits. They looked up and smiled at her when she walked over to her place on the bench.

"Hey Maddie, how's life?" Maddie sighed heavily as she slumped on the bench and gave her teammates a tired look. Where should she start? The fact that she was falling the wrong guy and didn't know how to tell him, that her best friend hated her, that she thought she had a cold coming, that school was turning into an absolute nightmare and that everywhere she went said guy was turning up looking and acting completely irresistible.

"That bad, huh!" Maddie smiled and raised her eyebrows as she pulled her football shirt out of her bag. She began getting changed as she told them all about her fight with Ali, her sister going to the concert without permission and the reaction of her parents. She hesitated before she went on and the girls knew she had something else that she wanted to say.

"... And there's this boy-" Maddie looked up sharply as Gemma and Becky burst out laughing, Becky came over and sat next to her on the bench, putting her arm around her shoulder.

"What's the problem?"

"Well I really like him, I uh I think I might be falling for him. But he likes someone else and his ex-girlfriend would probably kill me if we started dating." She sighed and bent down to tie her boot laces, a few of the other girls had arrived and were getting ready for the match.

"She's the jealous type? If I can't have him then no one can!" Gemma stood up and put her hands on her hips pretending to be a scorned ex-girlfriend. "You should just tell this guy how you feel, you never know he might feel the same way." She shrugged her shoulders and sat back down. As she moved out of the way Maddie saw Ali getting changed against the opposite wall.

"Are you two going to be okay playing together?" Becky looked towards Ali who was staring at Maddie with a scowl on her face. Maddie swallowed and looked away.

"Yeah, we'll be fine." She replied not entirely sure herself. Before she could begin to worry it was time to get out onto the pitch. The team were still top of the league but they were playing the team in third place who were on a 5-match unbeaten run, so it was going to be a tough game. The girls created their usual pre-match team huddle and pumped each other up for the game.

There was ten minutes remaining in the game and they were drawing 2-2, Maddie's team had gone 2-0 down in the first half an hour but they'd clawed it back. Ali had headed in a corner for the first goal and Maddie had played a ball through for the team's other striker Molly to score one-on-one against the keeper. Now they were in the ascendency and were knocking on their opponents' goal.

Maddie waited as her team made a substitution, taking Ali - who would be seriously pissed off - off and bringing on Laura. As she glanced around she noticed a new supporter standing by himself on the side lines, butterflies began floating in her stomach and her heart began to flutter. Only one person could make her react this way, Jasper Barratt.