the rest of my team did argue the point. And even though Kurt kept insisting that I’d dived or fallen over, we claimed a penalty.
Robbie stepped up and smashed it into the back of the net. And we were back to 2–1. As we celebrated, I caught a glimpse of Kurt looking at me, giving me evils.
For the rest of the game, any time I got the ball, Kurt would be there, trying to hack at my legs. It kind of got to the point where I didn’t even want the ball to come to me.
But just as the lesson was about to finish, I couldn’t avoid it. The ball dropped at my feet in the opposition team’s penalty area and I suddenly found myself one on one with the goalie. I can remember how fast my heart started to beat. I had the chance to level the game. I tried a stepover and sent the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly I had an open goal. All I had to do was roll the ball over the line. I swung my leg and kicked the ball. The ball hit the post and bounced back out. The keeper dived on the ball. And that was that. I’d missed an open goal.
I buried my face in my hands, totally humiliated. I could feel my cheeks burning with shame, with embarrassment. And I could hear Kurt laughing and shouting. I tried really hard not to look at anyone.
The whistle went for the end of the game. We’d lost. A couple of people came over and slapped me on the back. I didn’t know who they were cos I still couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone. And I could still hear Kurt taking the piss out of me. There were other people joining in too.
I trudged off the pitch on my own. And as I heard people taking the piss, chanting my name, I thought to myself that I just had to ignore them, pretend that I wasn’t bothered, and then they’d stop. All I had to do was try and act cool.
Only, when I got back to the changing rooms, I was met with a barrage of noise and people chanting my name and laughing. And I couldn’t handle it. I felt like I wanted to run away and cry. I sat down on the bench and got changed as quickly as I could, not speaking to anyone, not looking at anyone. The noise and the laughing and the chanting didn’t stop.
When I’d finished changing, I swung my bag on to my shoulder and walked through the changing room, head down. Before I reached the door, Kurt stepped into my path. The whole changing room seemed to hush, as though everyone was looking in our direction. He stepped right up into my face.
I tried not to look back at him, but he was so close I could smell his breath. I couldn’t ignore him. So I stared back into his angry eyes.
‘If you ever dive again when I tackle you,’ he said, with a real snarl in his voice, ‘I’ll kick your head in.’
‘I can’t help it if you tackle like a girl,’ I said. I still don’t know why I said it. I don’t know what possessed me, but the words just seemed to blurt out of my mouth.
A couple of people laughed. Everyone else just kind of gasped, like, how dare I say that?
Kurt looked angry for a second. And then he smiled. ‘Yeah? You can talk. You missed an open goal, you donkey. You couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo!’
It sounded like everyone in the changing room laughed. And suddenly something inside me kind of snapped. I leapt forward and grabbed Kurt. Somehow I managed to pick him up, like a karate move. I threw him over my shoulder on to the floor. I looked down at him for a second. He looked shocked, lying there. I turned away, picked up my bag, which had fallen on the floor, and walked towards the door.
Just before I reached the door, I felt an arm on my shoulder. I turned. It was Kurt. He swung his arm, punched me in the stomach and I doubled over.
‘Don’t mess with me, dickhead,’ he said, almost spitting it out.
I didn’t say anything. Even if I’d wanted to, I was too winded.
As Kurt turned to go back to where he’d been changing, Ash came striding over with his bag on his back. He looked angry and as he reached Kurt, he pushed him hard in the chest.
Robbie stepped up and smashed it into the back of the net. And we were back to 2–1. As we celebrated, I caught a glimpse of Kurt looking at me, giving me evils.
For the rest of the game, any time I got the ball, Kurt would be there, trying to hack at my legs. It kind of got to the point where I didn’t even want the ball to come to me.
But just as the lesson was about to finish, I couldn’t avoid it. The ball dropped at my feet in the opposition team’s penalty area and I suddenly found myself one on one with the goalie. I can remember how fast my heart started to beat. I had the chance to level the game. I tried a stepover and sent the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly I had an open goal. All I had to do was roll the ball over the line. I swung my leg and kicked the ball. The ball hit the post and bounced back out. The keeper dived on the ball. And that was that. I’d missed an open goal.
I buried my face in my hands, totally humiliated. I could feel my cheeks burning with shame, with embarrassment. And I could hear Kurt laughing and shouting. I tried really hard not to look at anyone.
The whistle went for the end of the game. We’d lost. A couple of people came over and slapped me on the back. I didn’t know who they were cos I still couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone. And I could still hear Kurt taking the piss out of me. There were other people joining in too.
I trudged off the pitch on my own. And as I heard people taking the piss, chanting my name, I thought to myself that I just had to ignore them, pretend that I wasn’t bothered, and then they’d stop. All I had to do was try and act cool.
Only, when I got back to the changing rooms, I was met with a barrage of noise and people chanting my name and laughing. And I couldn’t handle it. I felt like I wanted to run away and cry. I sat down on the bench and got changed as quickly as I could, not speaking to anyone, not looking at anyone. The noise and the laughing and the chanting didn’t stop.
When I’d finished changing, I swung my bag on to my shoulder and walked through the changing room, head down. Before I reached the door, Kurt stepped into my path. The whole changing room seemed to hush, as though everyone was looking in our direction. He stepped right up into my face.
I tried not to look back at him, but he was so close I could smell his breath. I couldn’t ignore him. So I stared back into his angry eyes.
‘If you ever dive again when I tackle you,’ he said, with a real snarl in his voice, ‘I’ll kick your head in.’
‘I can’t help it if you tackle like a girl,’ I said. I still don’t know why I said it. I don’t know what possessed me, but the words just seemed to blurt out of my mouth.
A couple of people laughed. Everyone else just kind of gasped, like, how dare I say that?
Kurt looked angry for a second. And then he smiled. ‘Yeah? You can talk. You missed an open goal, you donkey. You couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo!’
It sounded like everyone in the changing room laughed. And suddenly something inside me kind of snapped. I leapt forward and grabbed Kurt. Somehow I managed to pick him up, like a karate move. I threw him over my shoulder on to the floor. I looked down at him for a second. He looked shocked, lying there. I turned away, picked up my bag, which had fallen on the floor, and walked towards the door.
Just before I reached the door, I felt an arm on my shoulder. I turned. It was Kurt. He swung his arm, punched me in the stomach and I doubled over.
‘Don’t mess with me, dickhead,’ he said, almost spitting it out.
I didn’t say anything. Even if I’d wanted to, I was too winded.
As Kurt turned to go back to where he’d been changing, Ash came striding over with his bag on his back. He looked angry and as he reached Kurt, he pushed him hard in the chest.
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