Karen Priest

It all started when the two of us went to see Mr Evans. He’d already made an announcement in assembly, saying that anyone interested in joining the girls’ team this year needed to see him in the hall, at break time. He coaches the boys’ football team as well.

Danni and I raced each other over to the hall as soon as the bell went. I won, just. Then we hung around for ages. But no-one else showed up. Mr Evans came into the hall, ten minutes later, dressed in his suit and tie for a change. He looked around, as if he expected a few girls to climb down off the wall bars.

‘Claire? Where’s everyone else?’ he asked.

‘It’s just us,’ I explained. ‘Me and Danni.’

‘We can’t have a team with just two players.’ Mr Evans put his books down on a nearby bench and scratched the back of his collar.

‘Heather’s not back at school yet,’ I explained. We all knew that the rest of last year’s cup winning team had gone up to secondary school.

‘Three of you is still no good, Claire. We need at least five players if we’re going to enter the league.’

Danni and I looked at each other, then back at Mr Evans. He shrugged and put his palms out, as if to say that was that.