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I look over and see that he’s chucking everything out of his gear bag in an obvious state of panic.
“Davey, mate, you okay?” I call out to him.
“No, I’m not. I forgot my Juicy Fruit.” He looks like he’s about to cry.
Okay, this is bad. Every player has a little quirk. Something they do before or after a game, or during the season, to give them that extra confidence boost. Personally, I eat a strawberry yoghurt for breakfast on match days. It’s not as though I believe the fate of the game depends on my choice of breakfast foods, but it’s become a habit over the years and it helps me to get into match day mode.
Davey, though? He’s one of those blokes who takes his game day quirk very seriously. It can’t be just any chewing gum, it has to be Juicy Fruit. And he can’t start chewing until twenty minutes before kick-off.
Viz lets out a long-suffering sigh and starts digging through his cubby, retrieving a full pack of Juicy Fruit. “Don’t get your underwear twisted. I have some here.”
I let out a breath of laughter. Viz’s English is pretty much flawless, but he does struggle with idioms on occasion. It’s quite endearing.
Davey takes the packet Viz offers him, his eyes full of gratitude. “Thank you.”
“What would you do without me, you big baby,” Viz says wryly.
Davey’s brows shoot up. “I’mthe baby? Mr. Won’t Shave His Beard When We’re on a Win Streak?”
Viz rolls his eyes. “Just chew the fucking gum. Match starts in fifteen minutes.”
“Fuck!”Davey hastily tears open the packet of Juicy Fruit and stuffs one in his mouth, chewing with an impressive kind of determination.
Reassured that Davey’s now set for the game, Viz claps him on the back and returns to his cubby.
I realise then that I’ve been so caught up watching their exchange that I haven’t had a chance to think about what’s coming. In just a few short minutes, I’ll be back out on that pitch, with all those jeering fans paying me extra special attention. And this time it won’t just be my teammates out there with me—the boys I’ve come to love and trust and consider close friends over the past few months—my old teammates will all be out there as well. I haven’t seen any of them since I left Lancaster months ago.
I let my eyes fall closed and rest my head back against the side of my cubby. Fuck, I don’t know why this is hitting me now. I’ve known this game was coming for ages. It’s not as though the fixture’s a big secret or anything. I knew having our first meet-up in Lancaster, away from home and the support of the Rainbow Brigade, would make things harder, but I was prepared for that. Now that it’s actually about to happen, though…
I feel a reassuring hand rest on my thigh, and the knot of tension inside me instantly begins to unravel.
“It’s going to be fine,” Tom assures me. “I’ll be right there beside you. And we’re going to own these fuckers, you hear me?”
I open my eyes, finding him staring at me with his game face firmly in place. His expression is full of intense, angry determination.
I grin at him. Oh yeah, Lancaster aren’t going to stand a chance against him tonight.
Glancing around, I find the whole team’s attention is on me. Some of them are wearing expressions of concern, some affection, but a lot of them look like Tom—ready to wipe the floor with my old teammates.
“Right, lads?” Tom demands, his intense blue eyes still fixed on me.
“Fuck, yeah!” Robbie cries.
“We’re going to send those fuckers’ arses back into last week!” Sean declares.
My heart is full to bursting at their display of loyalty. They’re seriously the most amazing teammates I could have asked for. “Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. But how about we tone it down just a tad?” I suggest, eyeing the way Massimo is punching his open palm in a blatantly aggressive gesture. “We don’t want to risk any red cards.”
They murmur amongst themselves, offering reluctant nods. Then they disperse, going through their final checks of their kits and boot laces and all of that before we need to head out onto the pitch.
Alex approaches me, a proud expression on his face. “That was impressive. You’ll make a really good captain one day, Milly.”
I blink at him, shocked and also incredibly flattered by his words. “I hope not anytime soon. We need you around for ages.”
He lets out a soft chuckle and gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Cheers, mate.” Tom grumbles something under his breath, and Alex moves his hand away, rolling his eyes. “Can youpleasetell your boyfriend to stop glaring at me every time I come near you?”
I shrug, offering a wry smile. “Sorry. It’s kind of his natural setting.”
Vinnie walks into the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Right, men.”?He casts his gaze around the playing group, looking each of us in the eye for a moment as he speaks. “I want to say this is just another game, just another opponent. But I think we all know that’s bullshit. You want to win this one badly, so go out there and fucking win it. Keep to your skills and block out those arseholes in the stadium. It’s all just noise. None of it matters. But above all, keep your fucking heads. I don’t want to see any cheap penalties, or any fucking red cards. Got it?”
