Chapter Twenty-One
Maya
It was no secret to the team that Maya and Jamie had become a lot closer over the past few months, but they still hadn’t come out and told anyone yet. That was probably because of Maya.
Who was she kidding? It was definitely because of Maya.
But when Noodle switched places on the coach so she and Jamie could sit together, it was clear what none of them had said out loud. They knew.
They were on their way to the annual university tournament at Birchwood Manor. Separate from their main university season, it was a nice interim between the Christmas break and the championship resuming, helping to get the team back into shape. The weekend consisted of short twenty-minute matches, a night out celebrating the winner, and an award ceremony the next day. If previous years had taught them anything, it was that the ceremony would be spent mostly trying not to throw up—or trying not to follow in Aiysha’s footsteps and fall off the stage and into the arms of a member of the faculty.
But with Maya continuing to curb alcohol, and Jamie not being a drinker either, this year might be different. It was already different for a plethora of other reasons.
Jamie’s head rested on the glass, her body rocking with the movement of the coach. Despite her claims of having a “superior” immune system, she’d contracted Maya’s sickness and spent the first week of the new year in bed. She’d sworn to Coach she was fit enough to play in the tournament, but Maya had never seen her so quiet.
Nobody wanted to miss this weekend. Millton had a great track record of wins here. As the Harriers weren’t usually involved in the tournament—participation was by invitation only, and apparently there was some drama that had got them banned years ago—it was Jamie’s first time.
The coach pulled up at the front of Birchwood Manor. The gigantic stone building used to be a private boarding school before the owners passed away and their children sold it. It had since been renovated to house residential trips or sports events like this one. The huge wings on either side contained dormitories, and the large gardens had been funded to house two top-of-the-range Astro pitches, as well as various other equipment inside the great hall. Coach checked them in at the desk, and they scurried along the freshly mopped corridor, chattering like excited children.
Noodle and Aiysha linked arms at the front of the group, eager to pick the best beds. Maya always let the others choose what they wanted first. It made no difference to her—they were all the same cheap wooden bases anyway. The main advantage to look for was positioning yourself away from the snorers in the group—Megan and Harriet. At least Coach was in a separate room, although sometimes they could still hear her through the thin white walls.
Inside the cramped room, people dumped their bags on beds, claiming them. When Leah stopped Megan from taking the bunk bed in the corner of the room, casting a glance at Jamie instead, that curious feeling tangled itself in Maya’s gut again.
Did the team mind? Jamie didn’t seem to. She was chatting with some of the others, passing around a bag of Starburst while Leah took song requests for her speaker.
Before Maya could put her bag down, Jamie appeared in her eyeline. Seeing Jamie, looking clean in her black Millton tracksuit, really did things to her.
“Bagsy the top bunk,” Jamie said.
“I prefer being bottom anyway.”
Jamie leaned closer. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“Shut up.” Fire spread to Maya’s cheeks, and she playfully shoved her, focusing on pretending to unpack her bag on the bed. Luckily, Coach stormed in, clapping her hands and demanding everyone follow her outside.
They had a short tour of the grounds, met the organisers, and had a quick lunch in the cafeteria. Their first game was at twelve in the afternoon, and Coach wanted them to get warmed up with plenty of time to spare.
The air had a bite to it, but the sun poked her head through the white puffy clouds. Coach even brought out the pink shades that made her look like Elton John.
The universities were split into two groups of four, with the top two teams playing in a final to determine the winner. It meant they’d all be playing for most of the day, with the final being held under bright floodlights when the sunlight ebbed away.
Maya led everybody in the warm-up. The burn in her muscles awakened her, pulsing endorphins through her body after so long lying horizontal in bed—and not the good kind of lying horizontal. The rest of the team chattered as they thumped the balls to each other, laughter carrying on the breeze. Everyone was in good spirits; they were ready to bring back another tournament win.
The first two games were easy victories. Jamie and Aiysha both scored hat tricks, and Megan, their keeper, didn’t even have to make one save. The third game was more challenging. The opposing team had a couple of skilful players in midfield that Noodle had a hard time keeping up with. Jamie scored the winner, though—of course.
The fourth ended in a draw. No matter how many shots Millton had, the ball wouldn’t go into the net. Coach huffed and puffed, stomping up and down the sidelines, but their team still topped the group and were through to the final.
Their opponents went by the name the Hornets. Though the Harriers weren’t participating, Coach informed everyone that this was their sister university—a sports college situated just north of London.
The team collected their water bottles and gathered in a circle, red-faced and panting, their breath swirling patterns in the crisp air. The Christmas break had done their fitness no favours, but that was one of the reasons for taking part in this tournament—to kick them back into focus.
Maya brushed back some loose hair that was stuck to her forehead and blew out a breath. Sixteen pairs of eyes looked back at her expectantly, but she was used to these talks. The expectation didn’t scare her; it fuelled her, and she deliberately looked into everyone’s eyes as she passed around the circle. All except Jamie, who fiddled with the laces on her new Nike boots.
Maya clapped her hands. “First, well done, everyone. It’s not an easy task to dive straight back in after the break for Christmas. We played well, but we definitely need to talk more on the field. It’s still too quiet out there. All I can hear is the sound of my own voice. And you know how annoying that is.”
A ripple of laughter spread through the group, and she continued, “Focus on using the width of the pitch and getting the ball to Tiny and Leah on the flanks. They say they’re the fastest on the team, so test ’em.”
“You got it, Skip.” Leah saluted, earning a grin from Jamie.
“Let’s crowd the box and get crosses into Jamie and Aiysha. Noodle, don’t be afraid to have a shot, either. I know you have a lucky foot once in every blue moon.”
She spotted a group of red shirts spilling onto the pitch through the doors. The Hornets. They pointed their heads Millton’s way, assessing them curiously, before heading to the other side of the turf. Their whispers and laughter caught the attention of more than a few of the group.
If the Hornets were anything like the Harriers, mind games were their forte. Maya didn’t want to give them half a chance.
“Don’t look at them,” she said. “We focus on us.” Coach gave a nod of approval, and everyone’s attention fell back on Maya. “Jamie,” she said, “do you know anything about the other team that we should know about?”
“I…uh…don’t really know much about them, no.”
“But we know all about her,” one of the Hornets shouted as she passed by. The woman’s sneer passed over the group, before she turned to her friends and cracked out in laughter. Her comments became indistinguishable as she walked away.
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Maya snapped, noticing Aiysha eyeing the Hornets over her shoulder.
“Thomas is right.” Coach stepped in. “Their mind games are a sign of weakness. They’re intimidated by us. Bloody let them be.”
Coach continued her speech then went over the line-up for the game. Despite Maya’s own advice to focus, her gaze kept finding Jamie. Her mouth was squashed into a hard line, the creases between her eyebrows deepening. Anyone else might think she was concentrating on Coach’s words, but Maya knew her by now.
The comments of the other team had bothered her.
Jamie’s eyes flicked to Maya’s. Before she could give her a reassuring smile, she glanced away. A small pit of dread opened in Maya’s stomach. She hated seeing her upset.
They know all about her? What the hell did that mean?
After a warm-up drill in which Jamie misplaced multiple passes and lost control of the ball, Maya caught her elbow. “Hey, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m just a bit tired…from being sick. ”
They walked towards the sideline, out of earshot of the others. “You sure that’s all it is?”
Jamie’s gaze stayed cast downwards. “Yeah. I’m just recovering.”
Maya nudged her. “That’s what you get for forcing me into the sea.”
“I already got punished enough with the parking ticket,” Jamie grumbled but gave her a small smile. The tension that was coiled in Maya’s stomach loosened a bit.
The referee whistled for the captains to join her for the coin toss and handshake. Maya gave Jamie’s arm a squeeze and jogged over.
It was on.
The Hornets, like their sister university, were a physical side, using their shoulders and strength to shield the ball and knock the opposition off balance. Millton needed to meet them at that level.
“Step it up!” Maya shouted, pushing the defensive line up the pitch. She checked her shoulder, noting where the Hornets’ striker was, before turning her attention to the ball. Leah called for it on the wing, and Noodle lofted a perfect through-ball for her to run onto. With a quick flash of her feet, she sidestepped the defender and put a lofty cross into the penalty box.
Jamie jumped into the air, but a shove from the Hornets’ centre-back sent her flying.
Penalty! The whole team roared, sticking their hands in the air. But the referee waved play on. What? How could she not see that?
Noodle and Aiysha crowded the ref, making their case as Jamie brushed herself off. But the ball was still in play, and the Hornets were quickly making their way up the field. The supporters roared.
“Get back!” Maya called. “Play to the whistle!”
They whipped their heads around and started sprinting down the pitch, but too late. The Hornets’ number eight dribbled into the empty space in the midfield. Split between two players, Maya had to make a decision. Go to her and stop the attack, potentially opening up a pass to their striker, or stay with the striker, leaving the midfielder with too much space.
Come on, Maya.
The Hornet glanced up, her short black hair pulled into a small bun on top of her head, and they locked eyes. She mis-stepped, playing the ball too far in front of her, and Maya pounced, decision made. She pushed her legs as fast as she could to close the distance, fire pulsing through her muscles. Stretching, she slid in to swipe the ball out of play with her feet.
But the other player beat her to it. She tapped the ball around her and played it in to the now unmarked striker to slot into the back of the net. Maya groaned, looking up from the ground as the Hornets erupted in celebration. She smacked her palm into the Astroturf.
This game is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
After a stern telling-off from herself and Coach for not playing to the whistle, they started the second half fired up and fighting to regain their ground. Tackles were coming thick and fast, and Jamie in particular was at the heart of most of them.
Maya’s eyes were drawn to her, unsurprised to find her jogging up and down the Hornets’ defensive line and frustrating the defenders. There was a reason Maya had loathed Jamie so much in the first place—she was a nightmare to mark. Since having Jamie on her own team for a change, Maya had been able to appreciate her footballing talents. The way she pulled defenders out of position before using her speed to break away and receive the ball. That fantastic left foot and her ability to score from angles that seemed improbable. It was hard to tell from her position in defence if Jamie was winding the opposing team up like she used to do to her, but thankfully she seemed to have shaken off the Hornets’ earlier comments.
Millton pushed back against their physicality and started winning the battles in the middle of the park. Their passes found each other easily, and the Hornets struggled to keep up.
They just needed a goal.
Tiny—Millton’s 5’2 but incredibly quick right-back—received the ball on an overlap from Leah. Jamie called for the ball on the edge of the box, setting herself up for a shot.
Maya’s breath hitched in her throat. Hit it!
But the Hornets’ tall defender stormed in with a last-ditch tackle, swiping Jamie’s legs. A strained scream tore through the air .
Maya’s heart fell into the soles of her boots. She sprinted over, her chest burning with the exertion.
Jamie cradled her ankle, whimpering and swearing under her breath, her eyes squeezed shut in a grimace.
Cries from the supporters and teammates swirled around them, and Maya tried to squash the dread sinking into her stomach. She crouched down, noting it was the same ankle she’d injured a few months ago. Her leg was shaking. Not a good sign.
“Jamie, are you okay?”
“Fuck. Fuck. It’s my ankle. I think I’ve rolled it.”
“Ah, shit.” Maya hung her head. An ankle sprain could mean Jamie was out for weeks…and the Harriers game was coming up. They needed her. She was their top goal scorer. If Jamie couldn’t play then—
“I’ll be fine.” Jamie attempted to stand but winced and yelped in pain.
“You need to stay still,” Maya scolded, guiding her back to the ground. “Don’t inflict more damage.”
“I can’t be injured, Maya. I can’t.” Jamie groaned, and Maya rubbed her hand over her back, feeling useless.
Coach arrived with the physio, puffing and pink in the face, and they helped carry Jamie off the pitch. The player had been given a yellow card, and Millton had a brilliant free kick opportunity on the edge of the box. But Maya didn’t care anymore. Her heart wasn’t in it. It was stuck on worrying how serious Jamie’s injury would be.
Aiysha skied the ball over the crossbar, and shortly after, the final whistle blew, finishing the game at 1-0.
* * *
“You can still go out,” Jamie said with a sigh. “You don’t have to stay with me.”
“I don’t want to go out.”
“But what about the team?” Jamie folded her fingers over the pillow in her lap. “You’re the captain…I feel bad for you missing out.”
“The team will have more fun without me policing them all night. And I want to be here, Jamie.” Maya waited until she glanced up to meet her gaze, then smiled. “Besides, I’d never pass up an opportunity to wait on you hand and foot.”
The corners of Jamie’s mouth curled, and she returned her attention to her hands. The team had swapped the beds around, letting Jamie take the single bed with the most room and then completely surrounding her with pillows, like a white marshmallow fort. Her ankle stretched out in front of her, red and swollen. The ice seemed to be helping her pain—but not her sadness. Her little miserable pout was hard to bear.
It was a suspected grade one sprain. The physio said she’d be out for at least three weeks, which, while not ideal, was the best-case scenario. The swelling suggested trauma in her ligaments, but with enough rest, Jamie could recover in time for the first Harriers game in a month. It was a mighty ask, but Maya didn’t want to rule her out just yet and dampen her spirits even more.
No. She needed to cheer her up .
The team had gone on a commiseration bender around the local clubs and wouldn’t be back for hours. Maya couldn’t see Coach bothering them either—too busy Facetiming her family or playing competitive Tetris on her phone. They had this space all to themselves. Maya knew what she’d usually do with this free time…but with Jamie’s injury, that probably wasn’t the best idea.
What would cheer her up?
Like an arrow firing into her brain, an idea came to her. It might still be a bit tricky with Jamie’s ankle, but it was worth a shot. She double-checked the door was locked, then picked up Leah’s pink speaker and connected her phone with a beep.
“What are you doing?” Jamie asked.
She pulled out a chair from the dressing table and placed it in the middle of the room, giving the other girls’ mess a wide berth. If this were to work, she needed space.
“Think you can sit here for me?” she asked.
Jamie’s eyebrow quirked. “Yeah. Probably. But why?”
Maya helped her up and guided her to the rickety wooden chair in the centre of the room. She could see the cogs turning behind Jamie’s eyes, her inquisitive nature definitely roused.
Jamie said once that she thought Maya was an awkward dancer. She wanted to make her eat her words and then some.
And, uh, cheer her up. Yeah. That, too.
She scrolled through her music, finding the perfect song, and hit play. Sultry seductive notes sounded from the speaker, along with a solid beat that rivalled that in her own chest. She tossed the phone on her bed and faced away. With a flick of the switches, the light in the room reduced, leaving Jamie a silhouette, and her attention on Maya.
“What’s going on?” Jamie asked.
Time to get into character.
She pushed herself back into the wall and gave her the eye. “You wanted to see me dance, didn’t you?”
The realisation slowly dawned on Jamie’s face, and she swallowed.
Show time.