Page 79 of Matched Up

‘You’re doing great.’

The second half was even better.I ran harder, pushed harder, tackled harder and tried to ignore the hangover nausea that was getting even worse.

‘Calm down, Lexie!’Sadie shouted from the sidelines.

What was she on about?I threw myself into another tackle, but I was too slow; she moved the ball and I twisted and then heard a snap.And the pain was like nothing I’d felt before – burning in my leg from my ankle, right up my calf.

I screamed.

‘Lexie!’Megan ran over and kneeled down beside me.

The whistle blew, but I could barely hear it.My ears were ringing, and I leaned over and threw up because of the pain.

‘Oh my God, Lex, are you OK?’Megan said, panicking beside me.

I couldn’t answer.The pain was so bad I couldn’t think.I couldn’t hear.Then Megan’s dad was by my side examining my leg gently.

‘Probably a tear, given the amount of pain she’s in.Definitely best to get it checked out to make sure.Ambulance is on the way.’

And then I was on a stretcher and being carried off the pitch towards an ambulance.

They were about to close the doors when Niall jumped in to come with me.

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Niall took my hand in the ambulance, and I let him.They’d given me painkillers, so as the world became gradually visible, I could think again.

‘It hurts.’

‘I know,’ he said.‘Should have heard your scream.I felt it, Lexie.Like it was happening to me too.’He was holding on to my hand even more tightly now.

‘Always trying to steal my thunder.’

He laughed.‘Meg wanted to come with you, but I made her stay for the scout.’

I nodded through the pain as a realization sank in.‘I’m not going to be able to play for ages.’

Then the tears started.Thick and fast.

‘Players get injured, Lexie.It’s no big deal.’

‘No big deal?’I repeated.‘It’s literally the most important thing in my life.’I choked the words out.

Niall let go of my hand to play with the tubes that were attached to me.

‘Don’t you think you were doing a bit much?Didn’t you listen to what Mum said?’Niall said gently.

‘I just wanted on the team,’ I said and broke down again.

Niall was silent for the rest of the journey, just sitting beside me as I cried and thought about how much of a disaster this was.

I had an X-ray, but nothing was broken.Dr Evans was right.I’d torn my calf muscle, so I definitely wouldn’t be playing football for ages.I’d need loads of rest and then physiotherapy.I couldn’t even cry.It was like it was too unbelievable.But all of it,allof it, was my fault.Shane, the injury.They’d all told me not to do too much.What an idiot.

They gave me a prescription for a load of medication I’d never even heard of and lent me a pair of crutches.

Niall phoned a taxi and helped me into it, then into the house when we got back.

I’d forgotten about the party.The house was still a mess and stank of alcohol.

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