Page 2 of Matched Up

I rolled my eyes.She loved to trot out that phrase at least once a week.She didn’t know what she was talking about.She wasn’t even into sport.

‘And, Megan, love, I’ll ask Niall to run you home after.’

‘Thanks, Mrs Ryan.’

‘Inga problem,’ Mum replied.

I shook my head.‘She thinks she can speak Swedish now.’

Megan laughed and walked outside.‘Love your mum.Jesus.I still can’t believe your mum and dad paid for this.’She did a backward whistle.‘You’re so lucky.’

She was talking about the football pitch that Dad had installed just before Christmas.It wasn’t a complete surprise because there were workers in our garden for weeks, but he told me on Christmas Day that he’d decided to build it after a conversation we’d had about how much I wanted to make the team and that he wanted to support me as much as he could.

‘Not as lucky as you,’ I said, opening the gate and switching on the little floodlights.‘Megan Evans, daughter of the NI team doctor!’I kicked a high ball to her, and she trapped it with her chest effortlessly.

‘Apart from free match tickets it’s not that exciting, youknow,’ she said.‘I’d much rather have this pitch …’ She kicked the ball back to me, hard.‘Actually, I’d rather have the money the pitch cost and go on a really expensive holiday.’She grinned.

‘OK, let’s do this,’ I said.‘Dribbling drills?’

Megan pulled a face.‘OK,Sadie.’Sadie was our coach.The coach that everyone, apart from me, hated because she was so serious.

Then we were interrupted.‘You ready, Megan?’Niall’s voice from the side of the pitch.I looked over to see Hunter standing there too, drinking a can of Coke, and watching us play.

‘What?Go away – we’ve only just started!’I shouted back.

‘Yeah, we’ve onlyjuststarted,’ Megan said, dropping to her knees and pretending to cry.

‘Mum says I need to leave Megan home.’

‘She’s not ready,’ I said, getting annoyed now.‘We’ll be finished in an hour.’

‘An hour?!’Megan screamed.

Niall and Hunter laughed.But it wasn’t funny.

‘I watched your stupid movie; you promised you’d practise with me,’ I said, aware of the fact I sounded like a child.‘You can go now,’ I said to the boys, who were still hovering at the side of the pitch.

They didn’t go.‘Two versus two?’Niall called.

‘I’m in!’Megan said before I could say no.

We were supposed to be doing drills.But I guess it was better than nothing.

‘Fine,’ I conceded.

Niall joined us on the pitch.‘Maybe we should split the teams?Make it fairer?’

‘Yeah, right!Scared to lose to a couple of girls?’I always fell for Niall’s wind-ups.

‘Niall is,’ said Hunter.

He crushed his Coke can and threw it over the little fence and I didn’t even say anything.I was in football mode, where nothing else mattered.

‘OK, fine, Ryans versus rejects,’ I said, and walked over beside Niall.Niall and I had played together so much we made the perfect team.

Hunter scoffed.‘Hear what they called us, Megan?’

‘Let’s destroy them.Twins are going down.’Megan gave us her best evil stare, and Niall laughed.

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