Page 13 of Take Her On

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The smell of freshly cut grass filled the air as Maya sprinted across the field, the rhythmic clacking of boots pounding the turf. Football trials were held at the start of every new school year. The places on the team mostly stayed the same, give or take a few of the first and second years. Despite this, Coach Carmichael would make you believe you were trialling for Manchester City, the way she spoke about the pride and the responsibility of representing Millton University. This passion and borderline obsession seemed to amuse Jamie.

Maya found herself watching her, assessing how she was reacting to the experience and to the rest of the team. It annoyed her that she’d been accepted with open arms. She was a Harrier.

Why am I the only one who cares?

Admittedly, Maya was competitive. Getting so close to the title and losing each time to the Harriers—to Jamie—did make her feel a little bit unhinged. Millton University had certain expectations. It was a university of winners. The best coaches and, supposedly, the best players. It was Maya’s responsibility as captain to make sure the team lived up to those expectations. Winning the championship would not only be amazing for her job prospects, but it would prove her point. She was good enough. All the fights with her mum would have been worth it.

An hour later, sweaty and red in the dipping sun, Coach blew outrageously long on her whistle, her cheeks puffing up like a hamster’s. They trotted into the changing rooms, and once everyone was inside, she let the door close with a bang.

“Bloody fantastic effort today, everyone!” She blocked the archway with her broad shoulders, placing her hands on her hips. Her tracksuit bottoms were a little too tight and strained with every movement, threatening to split the fabric. “I’m delighted to see so many familiar faces, and a couple of newbies. This is going to be a great competitive season. I can feel it in my toes.”

She spun, her trainers squeaking across the floor. “Binta, great to see you back to fitness after that nasty injury. Careful with that left foot, though. We’ll work on it some more next week.” She winked and spun back around, this time to face Jamie. “And you, the little wild card. The lucky dip. Good to have you here. Something tells me with your two feet on the team, we’re gonna have a lot more bloody goals on the board.”

“But what about our formation?” Maya interjected. “The way Jamie plays doesn’t fit that.”

“It’s time to shake things up, Thomas.” Coach eyed her knowingly. “Make sure Mellor feels welcome.”

Jamie beamed. “Thanks, Coach.” She cast a smile Maya’s way, but Maya looked down at her boots. Even Carmichael didn’t have a problem with her? The world had gone mad.

Maya knew on a sensible level that having Jamie on their side was a good thing. She’d been the league’s top scorer two years in a row—but did it have to be Jamie who helped them win the championship? Jamie, really?

Maya couldn’t trust her as far as she could throw her. Even if Jamie wasn’t bothered about taking Maya’s captaincy, how did they know she wasn’t just going to relay information back to the Harriers? She didn’t want Jamie on her team; she wanted to beat her. She wanted to see the look on her face when they lifted the trophy and make her eat her own damn words. She didn’t want to rely on Jamie for anything.

Coach heaved in a deep breath. “Right! Get changed, you bloody ragamuffins, and meet in the hall to discuss this year’s fixtures. Look alive!” And with that, she was gone, the door swinging shut behind her as her clunking footsteps disappeared.

“So, Skip.” Jamie turned to her, raising her eyebrows and bumping her with her shoulder. “Seems like we’ll be spending some time together.”

Maya didn’t have the energy to pull her on the nickname she’d continued to give her all through practice. Or to question the truth behind her statement. For the first time since meeting her, Jamie Mellor might just have a point. Not only were they going to spend more time together, they were going to be teammates.

Maya wasn’t sure which part frightened her more.

Chapter Five

Maya

The first two weeks back at university had exhausted her. It was strange how lying around moping all summer hadn’t exactly prepared Maya for her final year exams. If her phone hadn’t buzzed, though, she would’ve happily spent all Sunday doing the exact same thing.

When Carly’s name lit up her phone, Maya’s heart skipped.

Fancy a drink at the Globe?

She glanced at Zeek’s thumbs-up reply and sighed. So much for a private invite. Lazy afternoons spent laughing with Carly and making future plans seemed long forgotten now, along with their dream trip around Europe. Carly’s eyes had lit up when they’d discussed driving through Switzerland and trying every variation of Swiss cheese, learning different languages, and watching the sunsets. Maybe now she’d prefer to go with Zeek.

Maya pushed those thoughts away, replied with a yes, and rolled out of bed to get ready.

The Globe was one of the student pubs on campus. A place where everyone and anyone was welcome as long as you didn’t mind sticky tables and slippy floors. Flags of all colours lined the ceilings and walls, creating a world tapestry of cheap polyester that featured in many of Maya’s drunken memories. Maya was surprised when Carly suggested it. The lively drunks and crumbling furniture were a far cry from the quirky coffee shops Carly frequented—but the beer was cheap, and the pool table was free, so she wasn’t going to complain.

They took a seat at the back, away from the thick smell of fried onions emanating from the kitchen. Carly and Zeek discussed his latest matches on Tinder. They pushed the occasional topless photo Maya’s way, and she nodded and smiled as enthusiastically as she could. They both knew her preferences, so why they kept insisting on her opinion was beyond her. Looking at each hairless torso was the equivalent of a long, cool shower.

“Look at him! Steve. Oh, Steve.” Zeek slid the phone back over, and Maya didn’t miss how Carly’s eyes grew wide. She looked away, watching a tall blond lean over the pool table, line up his shot, and miss by an embarrassingly wide margin. His friends erupted into laughter.

“Jesus. Look at the size of his arms,” Carly said, still absorbed in the photo.

“That’s nothing,” Zeek insisted. “Wait ’til you see the size of this.”

“Zeek! Gross!” Carly pushed herself away from him and into Maya, nearly knocking her off her seat. The sweet, flowery smell of her perfume invaded her nostrils as Carly shuffled her chair closer, so their legs brushed.