The Kick Off Read Free Page A

joined from.
    As he listened to the headlines, he headed a sponge ball against his bedroom wall, which was filled with posters of all of Jamie’s favourite players.
    When the bulletin had finished, Jamie switched off the radio and sat on the edge of his bed. He tumbled the ball between his hands and thought about the chat he’d had with Mike. He was right. If Jamie worked at it enough, he could still get that place in the A team. This wasn’t over yet. Not by a long way.

 
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    At 11.45 the next morning, Jamie stretched out his arms, let out a big old yawn and got up. It was time for Sports Saturday .
    He pulled his duvet down from upstairs and perched himself on the settee with a bowl of cereal and some ice-cold milk. His mum worked at the hospital on Saturdays and Jamie enjoyed his slobby start to the weekend, feasting on the latest sports action, with the house completely to himself. During the football season he recorded all the goals while he watched them so he could go back later and watch the Hawks goals again in slow-motion.
    Jamie was supposed to do some shopping for his mum this afternoon but practically as soon as the programme finished, Jamie heard the sound of a ball bouncing outside the front door.
    Jack was obviously ready for their weekly kick-around at Sunningdale Park and football beat shopping any day! They had planned a long session today because it was the only chance they were going to get. Jack was visiting family in Antigua for the whole of the summer holidays.
    Jack and Jamie had been best mates since they were five. They had kicked a ball around for the first time in the same week that Jack had moved into Jamie’s road, about eight years ago. Since then, they had pretty much grown up together and Jamie knew that, if he needed to, he could talk to Jack about anything.
    Jack was really clever and always gave good advice. Maybe if Jack had been at the trials and had been able to calm Jamie down, everything would have been different. Jamie might even have scored the penalty.
    But Jack hadn’t been allowed to play in the trials. Neither of them could understand why. They played together the whole time outside of school so what was the difference? As far as Jamie was concerned, Jack was by far the best goalkeeper he knew.
    So what if she was a girl? She was still a great keeper.
    The boys at school said Jack was fit and Jamie knew she had a pretty face, but to him she was just a mate. A best mate.
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    Halfway through their jog to Sunningdale Park, Jamie suddenly came to a halt.
    â€œWhat’s up?” said Jack. “Run out of gas already? You need to get your fitness levels up, mate”
    â€œJack,” said Jamie tentatively. “We’re mates, right?”
    â€œErrr . . . I think so!” said Jack sarcastically.
    â€œCan I ask you a question, then?”
    â€œJamie, if you’re trying to ask me out, can you just get on with it – we haven’t got all day!”
    â€œShut up for a second, Jack. This is serious.”
    â€œOK, sorry. What is it?”
    â€œDo I – I –” he stammered. “I mean . . . what do you think of my hair?”
    â€œIt’s all right,” said Jack, sizing him up. “Looks the same as normal to me.”
    â€œIt is the same as normal, but what do you think of it? Is it really rubbish that it’s . . . ginger?”
    â€œI thought you always said that it was strawberry blond, Jamie,” Jack teased.
    â€œJust answer the question, Jack.”
    â€œListen,” said Jack, putting her face near to Jamie’s so that her dreadlocks almost touched his forehead. “Your hair is cool and you’re a good looking bloke. You know that, so stop trying to make me big you up. Now can we please go and play some football?”
    â€œYeah, cool,” said Jamie, doing his best to keep a cheeky smile from flickering across his mouth.
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