by Bali Rai
Abs, Gurinder and Ant stuck together at training again. By the time we were ready for a game, I was really upset. I’d tried to talk to Abs at least five times and he was just ignoring me. In the end Dal told me to forget about it.
‘He just doesn’t care,’ he said.
‘But I want to know what we’ve done wrong,’ I replied.
Abs was just being weird. I couldn’t think of a single reason why he wasn’t talking to us. I mean, even if he was upset about the girls playing, why was he ignoring me, Dal and Jason? We were supposed to be his best mates.
When the two teams got picked for the practice match, Abs and his new friends were on the same side, and me, Jason and Dal were together. We also had Lily, Parvy and Byron with us, as well as Gem, Ben and Pete. Because there were only seventeen squad members, our team had the extra person. Abs didn’t like it.
‘That ain’t fair!’ he complained.
‘Oh yes it is,’ Ian told him. ‘Last week you were on the team with the extra player. Just get on with it, son.’
Abs pulled a face and then said something to Ant. They both started laughing.
I turned to Dal and Jason. ‘They’re talking about us,’ I told them.
‘So what?’ replied Jason. ‘Let them.’
Ian and Wendy sorted out our positions and the practice match kicked off. Abs got hold of the ball straight away and went on a run right at the heart of our team. He ran past Lily and me, but when he got to Byron he lost control of the ball. Byron took it and passed it to me. I held it, with my back to goal, and then, as Lily made a move to my left, I played it into her path. It was exactly the sort of game that Steve had been trying to teach us. Quick, simple passes followed by movement off the ball. No long, hopeful balls or punts into the air.
‘If God had wanted us to play soccer in the air, he’d have put grass up there,’ Wendy had reminded us before the practice game. She’d stolen the saying from some old football manager that none of us had ever heard of.
Lily ran onto my pass and was through on goal. She had the perfect opportunity to score, but she didn’t take it. Instead she saw that I had run into space and was totally free.
With just the keeper, Gurinder, to beat, she squared the ball to me and I simply tapped it into an empty net. I wheeled around to celebrate and saw Gurinder slide in and foul Lily. They ended up in a heap on the ground.
‘Oi!’ shouted Byron and Jason, running over to help Lily.
‘What?’ asked Gurinder slyly. ‘I was just going for the ball . . .’
Lily got up, brushed down her kit and then smiled at me.
‘Great goal!’ she said.
‘Great pass!’ I replied.
The next bit of action saw Ant with the ball. He was running towards Parvy, and he tried to nutmeg her. But Parvy is too good for that and she took the ball away. Ant groaned and then stood where he was, not bothering to chase after her.
‘COME ON, SON!’ shouted Ian. ‘Get after her . . .’
Ant groaned again and started jogging back. But he was far too slow. Within seconds Parvy had found Ben, who quickly passed to Pete. Pete skipped past Corky and Emma and then passed to Jason, who was one on one with Gurinder. But Jason didn’t shoot either. Instead he played the ball back the way it had come, fooling Abs and Leon, who were both trying to get to the ball. The pass found Lily in space and she slid the ball into the net to make it 2–0.
The practice game went on like that, with our team trying to play like we had been taught and Abs and Ant trying to showboat for the TV crew. At one point Steven and Corky combined to send Abs clear. He raced towards our goal, one on one with Gem. But instead of simply running past her, he tried to do a series of step-overs, just like his favourite Man United player, and fell over. Everyone started laughing, even his new mates. Abs’s face grew dark and he started complaining over and over again.
By the time practice was over, we had won the game 6–2 – I scored three goals! – and Abs was livid. He had been trying to be the star, playing up because there was a camera filming us. But it had backfired and after we’d got changed, Ian and Wendy got us all together to talk about how we’d played.
‘Not just tonight,’ said Ian, ‘but on Saturday too, some of us were showing off. Now I know there’s a TV crew here, but we must remember the basics, OK? Pass and move. Simplicity.’
‘Yeah, people,’ added Wendy, her American accent getting stronger. ‘There ain’t no room for stars in this here team . . .’
Most of us nodded.
‘We are the Rushton Reds – a team, y’all . . .’ she continued.
Gurinder and Ant sniggered. I looked over at Abs, who was staring at me. I could tell that he was thinking about sniggering too, but he didn’t. I shrugged at him – to ask what was up. But he just nodded and looked down.
‘Something funny in what we just said?’ asked Ian.
‘No,’ replied Gurinder sullenly.
‘OK, then,’ said Ian. ‘Now get home and remember we’ve got Evington Eagles away on Saturday. They’re third in the league and they won the City Cup last year, so it’s going to be a tough game. They’ve beaten every team they’ve played at home this season.’
‘Ian?’ asked Dal.
‘Yes, Dal?’
‘Can we go and visit Steve if we want to?’
Some of the others said they’d like to see him too.
‘I’ll see what he says,’ replied Ian. ‘And ask the hospital. He’s very poorly and I’m not sure that the sight of you ugly lot will help him recover,’ he joked.
‘OK – get going,’ added Wendy. ‘And remember – TEAM, NOT STARS!’
I looked over at Abs. He was wearing a brand-new Man United top and he had a new haircut. He was also standing right in front of Brian, the cameraman.
‘Someone should tell him that,’ Lily whispered to me.
‘He’s OK,’ I replied. ‘I’m sure he’ll come round.’
‘We’ll see,’ she said. Then, at the top of her voice, she shouted towards Dal, ‘Hubby dearest – are you taking me to see a film?’
The rest of the squad burst into laughter as Dal went red.
‘Don’t say that!’ he told her, for like the millionth time.
It was no use. Lily was mental!
Chapter 8
Saturday
PENNY AND PARVY were the first team members to get to Evington Eagles’ ground. I was right behind them. My dad had to go somewhere and he dropped me off early.
‘I thought I’d be the first one here,’ I told them.
Penny, who is really slim with short blonde hair which sticks out all over the place, smiled at me.
‘We thought we’d get here early and discuss the way of the football ninja,’ she said, acting all mysterious.
‘You mean soccer,’ corrected Parvy.
‘Oh, yes,’ replied Penny. ‘Although the truest ninja knows that you can use both words and still be right.’
The girls had been going on about football/soccer ninjas since they’d joined the team and I still didn’t know what they were talking about.
‘What does that mean?’ I asked.
‘Not for you to know,’ Parvy told me. ‘It’s a special thing for girls . . . no boys allowed.’
I grinned at them. ‘But we’re a team, remember?’
‘But—’ began Penny.
I shook my head. ‘No, no, no,’ I said. ‘That’s what Wendy said – no room for stars. So you have to tell me what you’re talking about.’
The two girls looked at each other and then started giggling. Finally, Penny turned to me.
‘OK – but we’re only going to tell you,’ she said. ‘And you have to promise never to tell the other smellies . . .’
‘Smellies?’ I asked, wondering what she was on about.
‘BOYS!’ she explained. ‘You call us the Barbies and we call you that.’
I frowned. ‘But I don’t smell,’ I protested.
‘That’s what you think,’ replied P
arvy. ‘You’re a boy so you must smell – it’s the rules. Boys smell and girls are gorgeous . . .’
‘I think that’s why the cleaners had to use all that bleach on Tuesday,’ Penny added. ‘To clean up the nasty boy smell!’
I grinned again. Wendy had told my mum the security guard had accidentally knocked over a bucket of bleach, but you couldn’t blame Penny for trying to make a point.
‘Whatever,’ I said. ‘Tell me about the ninja thing . . .’
Both of them made a big deal about looking around to make sure that no one could hear them. But we were in the middle of Evington Park and it was huge. There was only one other person about and she was walking a dog. At least I think it was a dog. They were so far away that I couldn’t be sure. It could have been a kangaroo for all I knew.
‘There’s no one here!’ I said, getting impatient.
‘Oh, all right then,’ said Parvy. ‘Sister Penny will tell all, but remember the curse . . .’
I groaned. What was she on about now?
‘What curse?’ I asked.
‘Just don’t tell anyone,’ Parvy explained. ‘And then you won’t have to find out.’
‘Just tell me!’
Penny sat down on the grass and told us to follow suit. The grass was damp and cold.
‘It’s all about what you do with the ball,’ she told me.
‘Huh?’
‘How you think about it and how you treat it . . .’ she added.
‘The ball?’ I asked.
She nodded. ‘Treat the ball well and you will become its friend. And once the ball is your friend, it will do anything for you . . .’ she said.
‘That’s just silly,’ I complained. ‘Like the ball can become your friend! That’s like when my dad got caught by my sister, pretending to be the Tooth Fairy.’
‘What happened?’ asked Parvy.
‘He told Veronica he was just filling in because the Tooth Fairy had the flu. He’s as daft as you two are . . .’
‘SSSSHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!’ whispered Penny. ‘Don’t let the ball hear you. You’ll hurt its feelings and then it won’t like you any more . . .’
‘What ball?’ I asked, looking around. I couldn’t see any balls.
Parvy pulled a small practice ball from her bag. It had ARSENAL FC written all over it.
‘This ball,’ she said.
‘But that’s a silly little ball,’ I told her. ‘It’s not a proper ball, is it?’
Parvy and Penny looked at each other, tut-tutted like my mum does sometimes, and then shook their heads.
‘There is only one ball,’ explained Penny.
‘Huh?’
‘Just one – every ball you see is just a copy of the first ball. The great ball . . .’
‘You’re nuts!’ I told them.
‘Maybe we are,’ replied Parvy. ‘But we know the Way of the Soccer Ninja and you don’t. If you don’t believe, you can’t know the magic . . .’
‘Crazy,’ I said.
‘Trust the ball, let it be your friend and the game is yours,’ said Penny.
‘Love the ball, treat it with respect,’ added Parvy.
‘Bonkers!’ I complained.
‘Do you want to know or not?’ asked Penny, sternly like a teacher.
I nodded.
‘OK then – so shut up and pay attention.’
She stood up and Parvy threw the practice ball at her. Penny took it on her left foot and did ten keep-ups with it.
‘Your turn,’ she said to me.
‘That’s simple,’ I replied, standing up.
Penny threw the ball at me and I managed two keep-ups before I lost control.
‘That’s not fair!’ I moaned. ‘You didn’t throw it to me properly.’
Parvy giggled. ‘Fair’s got nothing to do with it. You aren’t fluent in the Way of the Ninja . . . the ball is not your friend . . .’
I laughed. ‘So what about at the last training session when I scored a hat trick?’ I asked.
‘That was just easy stuff,’ Penny told me. ‘Anyone can do that. The soccer ninja can do more than that though. Being a ninja is like being super-good – not just good.’
I scratched my head. ‘Throw me the ball again,’ I challenged. ‘This time I’ll do more than you did.’
Penny got the ball and threw it to me. But this time I didn’t even manage two keep-ups.
‘Fix!’ I groaned. ‘There’s something wrong with the ball!’
Parvy snorted. ‘That’s your first mistake,’ she told me. ‘A proper soccer ninja never, ever, says that. It’s never the ball – it’s always the player who does it wrong. That’s rule number one.’
I groaned again and started praying that the rest of the team would hurry up.
‘Rule number two,’ said Penny. ‘The ball must never be shouted at or told off. Love the ball and the ball will be your servant.’
‘Weirdos!’ I said childishly, whilst making a swirling motion with my finger at my left temple.
‘Rule number three,’ added Parvy. ‘The soccer ninja will never be perfect. She must keep on practising, every day, and never believe that she has become the best. Because she can always, always become better still!’
‘Number four,’ said Penny, as I thought about running away, screaming. They really were completely crazy. I began to wish that I hadn’t asked. ‘Rule four tells us that the true soccer ninja must love simplicity. Never, ever, ever forget that soccer is about passing the ball. Let the ball do the work and glory will be yours . . .’
I stopped them before they could continue. Some of the other players were coming towards us.
‘The rest of the team is here,’ I told them.
‘That’s a shame,’ said Penny. ‘We were going to tell you some more of the rules.’
‘How many are there?’ I asked.
‘At least fifty,’ explained Parvy. ‘You can’t know them all. You learn them as you become a better ninja . . .’
‘Nutters!’ I said, doing the swirling thing with my finger again.
Parvy whispered, ‘I’ll come up to you in the game and tell you when the Barbies have called on the ninja skills – then you can see for yourself.’
‘Huh?’
‘Just wait and see,’ she said, winking at me, just as Dal arrived.
‘Hey, Chris,’ he said.
‘Hey, Dal.’
‘Are you OK?’ he asked me.
‘I am now,’ I replied. ‘Now that those two crazy girls have gone . . .’
Dal shrugged. ‘They’re OK,’ he told me. ‘It’s Lily who’s mad.’
Lily must have heard her name because she appeared like a ghost. She pinched Dal’s cheek and then whispered something to me.
‘Never tell,’ she said.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Lily hadn’t heard me speaking to Parvy and Penny and she’d only just arrived so I was sure that she hadn’t spoken to her friends. How could she know what they’d just said to me?
‘But—’ I stuttered.
‘The soccer ninja always knows . . .’ she said mysteriously before going back to teasing Dal.
I shook my head in confusion. I was having one weird morning.
Chapter 9
IT GOT STRANGER too. Once we were all there, Wendy and Ian got us together. Abs was still ignoring us, but I couldn’t see Ant or Gurinder anywhere. They were late.
‘We have some news for you,’ Ian told us. ‘We’ve noticed recently that there has been a split in the team. It’s not serious but we have seen it. Well, on Thursday night we decided to let one of the squad go. That player is Gurinder. There are reasons for it, but we won’t go into those. Suffice to say that he wasn’t ready to give his all for the Reds or to be a full team member . . .’
Wendy cleared her throat. ‘And then this morning we found out that Ant has gone too,’ she said. ‘Both he and Gurinder have gone to play for Langton Blues.’
‘NAH!’ shouted Byron. ‘That’s just wrong, man! Traitors . . .’
‘Calm down, son,’ replied Ian. ‘If they’re not playing for us, they can go where they wish. We just need to focus on our team.’
‘Now,’ continued Wendy, ‘we are obviously going to need some new players. Corky’s sister is coming along to the next practice and hopefully one or two more of my old team will join up. But if you do know of any other players, boys or girls, let us know at the end of today’s game . . .’
I waited for the familiar sound of Abs moaning about yet another girl playing. But when I glanced over at him, he looked shocked and he kept really quiet.
Lily whispered in my ear. ‘His new friends have deserted him,’ she said.
I nodded. ‘It’s a good job he’s still got his real friends here,’ I replied.
Lily smiled at me. ‘You’re really cool, you are,’ she told me. ‘After everything he’s done, you still want to be his friend.’
‘He is still my friend,’ I said. ‘And he’s still a Red . . .’
Lily nodded. I glanced over at Abs again and this time he saw me. His expression was downcast and he looked a bit lost. I smiled broadly and stuck my thumb up. He looked even more shocked. And then he kind of smiled back a little. But he still didn’t speak.
‘OK, people,’ said Wendy. ‘Let’s get out there, and remember what we talked about on Thursday – team players, not stars! Just ignore the TV crew – please.’
‘YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ the whole squad shouted.
‘We are one win away from going third in the league,’ Ian reminded us. ‘Beat the Eagles and we go above them. That’s all the motivation you need . . . now get out there!’
‘FOR STEVE!’ shouted Ben.
‘STEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ we all replied.
I ran onto the pitch with Abs by my side.
‘Easy,’ I said to him.
‘Easy,’ he replied, letting me know that things were fine again.
The team that Ian and Wendy picked was the same as the one that started against Streetly Celtic. Lily was on the bench again but she didn’t complain. Instead she went round to each of the starting eleven and told them to play their socks off.
‘If we go up to third, we’ll show them that we’re a proper team,’ she told us all.