The Football Trials: Dangerous Play Read online

  It’s like he’s watching over me. The worrying thing is, I can actually imagine him standing over me in the middle of the night. With an axe in one hand and a chopped off head in the other. I know – I’ve seen too many horror films. I should probably watch some of those soppy, romantic films Wheeler loves so much, where he gets all his hints about how girls’ minds work.

  But Forest doesn’t jump out on me and I get to Samuels Park without being attacked. At training, Liam sorts us into two teams and we have a kick about. I’m on the same side as Ryan and Ollie which is cool with me. We make a pretty good team.

  The problem is my head is all over the place, with Lauren and Forest. Which means my feet are all over the place too!

  Ryan bursts through from defence with the ball and slides the ball across the goal. It’s a tap-in. All I have to do is get a toe on it. And I do. Right over the bar. I fall onto the grass like someone has shot me. Pretty embarrassing. I pick myself up and wipe the grass from my T-shirt. I can see Ryan, smiling, shaking his head.

  “Good effort,” he says sarcastically.

  I grunt, take it on the chin. “Thanks.”

  On the way home from training, I’m still embarrassed about that miss. The lads are never going to let me forget it.

  “Yo!” someone shouts.

  I spin around. Before I can do anything, Forest has me by the neck, pushed against a wall. His face is red and angry.

  My heart is thumping.

  “Thought you could get with my girl?” he spits.

  I try and say something, but my words don’t come out right. “D-d-don’t...”

  Buff mimics me, standing behind Forest. “D-d-don’t hurt me.”

  “I’m going to hurt him,” says Forest. He lifts his fist, ready to throw it at my face.

  “Wait,” says Chenner. “I’ve got a better idea. If he’s playing for United, I bet the kids down there are minted.”

  “So?” says Forest.

  “So,” says Chenner, “let’s get him doing a bit of work for us.”

  “Yeah OK,” says Forest. “I want you to nick all you can for me – phones, watches, whatever. When have you got your next game?”

  I stare at the ground.

  He grabs me by the cheeks and squeezes my face. “Look at me when I’m talking. When is your next game?”

  “Sunday,” I say, pushing the word through my squashed up lips.

  He lets go of my face. “We’ll be waiting outside the gates.”

  Suddenly, he swings a fist into my gut.

  A pain shoots through me, making me double up.

  “You tell anyone, it won’t just be you I come for, you get me?” Forest says. “I know where your girlfriend lives, remember?” Then he pushes me away. “Come, boys,” he says.

  Forest and his mates walk off, laughing and joking, like this is all some funny game.

  I watch them go, clutching my belly. I hate him so much. But I have to do what he says, if he’s going to hurt Lauren.

  I can’t let that happen.

  No Choices

  As Sunday’s game gets closer, I work out that I have two choices. I rob the changing rooms and get booted out of United. Or I don’t and I’m dead. And Lauren gets hurt too.

  As much as I want to play for United, I can’t let anything bad happen to Lauren. There is a third choice. I rob the changing rooms, deal with Forest and get away with it. The thing is, I’m not that lucky. And anyway, when people found out their stuff had been nicked, I would be the prime suspect. Rough kid from a rough estate. Just the way it is.

  I turn up at Samuels Park on Sunday morning for the match. All I want to think about is football, but all I can really think about is Forest and what he’s making me do. I don’t say a word to anyone in the changing rooms, not even Ollie.

  How can I? He won’t want anything to do with me when he finds out what I’m planning to do.

  Out on the field, the parents are lined up on the touchline. Wonder what they’ll say about me when they hear I’ve stolen from their sons. Mum and Granddad aren’t watching the game. They wanted to but I told them it made me more nervous when they were watching.

  Truth is, I would love to have them here. I just couldn’t risk them getting caught in the crossfire of my beef with Forest. I didn’t even tell Wheeler about any of it. Haven’t told anyone.

  I tell Liam I’m not feeling right and he switches me out for Zeki, one of the subs.

  I’m surprised to see Ryan is a sub too, but he says he felt a bit of a strain in his thigh and didn’t want to risk an injury.

  I watch from the sidelines as the game kicks off. Straight away, Ollie is bossing it in midfield, spraying passes all over the pitch. No one on the other team can get close to him.

  With about fifteen minutes gone, we get a corner. Zeki swings one in and their defender heads it clear. Ollie picks it up on the edge of the area. He controls it with his right, then moves it onto his left. He hits the ball. It curls, right into the top corner. An absolute worldie. Everyone goes crazy, the whole team crowds around him.

  With everyone celebrating, I grab my chance. I take a look behind me, before I go into the changing rooms. No one is around.

  I go over to Jamal’s stuff and reach inside his coat pockets. I pull out a phone. I feel proper sick when I see his background – the United badge.

  “What are you doing?” asks someone from behind me.

  I spin around.

  Ryan is standing there. He points at the phone in my hand. “What have you got that for?”

  Collared

  I think about lying to him, but I don’t. “I was going to nick it,” I say. I don’t know why I’m telling Ryan the truth, but it feels good to get it off my chest.

  “What for?” he asks.

  I take a breath. “This kid. Forest. He’s scary. Worse than you.”

  Ryan laughs.

  “Not even joking,” I tell him. “I mean, proper crazy. He said if I didn’t rob this place, he was going to hurt this girl.”

  “What girl?” Ryan asks.

  “Lauren,” I say, “from the party.”

  “What’s his problem?” he asks.

  “She’s his ex,” I tell him.

  “Oh,” he says. “And you’re getting with her?”

  “Maybe,” I say. “I don’t even know.”

  “So, what are you going to do?” he asks.

  “No choice,” I tell him. “Forest said he would be waiting for me outside the gates.”

  “You should tell someone,” Ryan says.

  “As if,” I say. “What about you? Are you going to tell Liam?”

  “Tell him what?” he asks.

  “About this? About the phone?” I say.

  “What phone?” he asks.

  I give him a nod. I’ve not known Ryan long, and when I first met him he was a proper idiot. But he’s OK.

  “I’ll catch you later,” says Ryan. Then he walks out.

  I grab the phone. A couple of other phones too. And a tablet. I stuff the gear into the bottom of my backpack, covering it with my clothes. Never stolen anything in my life before. I feel proper lousy.

  After the match, I don’t go into the changing room. I just rush straight out of the academy building. Outside, the sky is grey. It looks like rain. I hope Forest isn’t waiting for me.

  I hope he forgot our deal or found something more interesting to do. Or better still, perhaps he’s been hit by a car.

  My heart sinks. I’m the one who feels like he’s been hit by a car.

  Forest is standing at the gates with Buff and Chenner, just like he said they would be.

  Puppet

  I think about running back inside the academy building, but there’s no point. I would just be putting it off. Making it worse. I need to get it over and done with.

  Then, I can just go back to normal. Maybe United won’t press charges when they find out what I’ve done.

  Forest stares at me. Then he flicks his head, wanting me to follow hi
m around to the side of the gate, so we’re out of sight. Perfect place for a shady deal.

  “Surprised you’ve shown up,” says Forest. “You got the stuff?”

  I pull my backpack off my shoulder and unzip it.

  Forest buries his face in the bag like a pig in a trough. He sees the phones. Then he hands the bag to his mates. “Not bad,” he says. “Think we might have to make this a regular thing.”

  My skin goes cold. “I... I can’t,” I tell him.

  Forest grabs me by the neck. “I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done, you know.”

  This is worse than I imagined. I thought that when I gave the gear to him, that would be it. But it’s not, is it? I’m going to be his puppet for as long as wants.

  “They’ll kick me out,” I tell him. “When they find out that I’ve robbed the place.”

  Forest gives me a nasty look. “Then you had better make sure they don’t find out.”

  I think about Ryan. What he saw. What I told him. “But they might,” I say. “They already know I’m trouble.”

  “Trouble?” asks Forest. “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t... know me very well,” I say. “I don’t do as I’m told.”

  Forest grabs me by the neck. His ugly, fat face is right next to mine. “Remember that punch in the stomach I gave you?” he asks with a nasty smile. “Well, there’s plenty more where that came from, if you don’t do as you’re told.”

  United

  I want to swallow, but I’m scared of getting punched if I move. So I don’t move a muscle. My heart thumps in my chest. This is where my story ends. All of it over, before it’s even begun.

  I close my eyes.

  Then I hear something.

  Footsteps on concrete. People running.

  “GET OFF HIM!” shouts someone.

  I open my eyes and manage to twist my neck to see the lads standing there. My team. Ollie, Ryan, Jamal, Angel, Indy, Zeki... The WHOLE team. Everyone.

  “Get off him, now,” orders Ryan.

  “Or what?” asks Forest.

  “Or we kick your head in,” Ryan tells him.

  Forest stares at Ryan for ages. Then he nods at Buff and Chenner.

  They let me go.

  I back away from Forest, towards my team-mates. I turn to Ryan. “What... what are you doing?”

  “I can give you grief,” he says. “But no one else can. No one messes with one of my team.”

  I feel powerful. Like a general with an army behind him.

  “Has he told you what he’s done?” shouts Forest. “Robbing from you all.”

  “Yeah, what you made him do,” says Ryan.

  I look around at them.

  “Don’t sweat it,” says Jamal. “We know it wasn’t your fault.”

  I want to make this right, but I’m scared. Really scared. “Give me the bag,” I tell Forest.

  He looks at me with hatred. Shakes his head.

  “Do it,” says Ryan.

  Forest swears at us, then he hands the bag over. “I won’t forget this,” he says to me.

  “Neither will we,” says Ryan. “If I find out you’re giving my boy any more aggro, I’ll come find you. You get me?”

  Forest’s eyes are burning with anger but he looks around at his mates and flicks his head.

  The three of them turn around and walk away.

  I grab the stolen gear from my backpack and hand it back to the lads who I took it from. “Sorry,” I say again. I look at Ryan. “Cheers, man.”

  “You’re part of the team,” he says. “We stick together.”

  Watermelon

  I lie on my bed thinking about the last few days. What’s happened, what’s going to happen. Why can’t things just be simple?

  The intercom buzzes.

  Mum is out and Granddad is watching TV, so I roll off my bed and go and answer it. “Hello?” I say.

  “Hey, Jax, it’s Lauren.”

  My heart beats fast and I can’t stop myself from smiling. “Come up,” I tell her. I buzz her in and wait. I listen as the lift clanks about. Then, after what seems like forever, the lift doors open and Lauren is standing there.

  “You want to come in?” I ask.

  “No, it’s fine, we can just stand here in this cold corridor,” she says with a smile.

  I stare at her. “What, really?”

  “No, of course not,” she says. “Obviously I want to come in!”

  I laugh at my lameness and lead her into my bedroom.

  “I know what happened,” she says. “Ryan texted me.” She takes my hand. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  “Not your fault,” I tell her.

  “Forest is such an idiot,” she says.

  “He told me he would hurt you,” I say. I leave out the part that he said he would kick my head in too. Makes me seem less of a hero.

  “You’re so sweet,” she says. Then she gently puts her hand on my cheek and turns my head so I’m facing her. She closes her eyes and leans in.

  She kisses me.

  I close my eyes too. Her lips are warm and moist and taste of watermelon. Oh wow. All the hassle, all the drama. Worth it. One hundred per cent.

  Inside I want to jump and cheer like United have just scored a last minute winner. But I don’t. That would be incredibly lame.

  We move apart and I lick my lips. Can still taste watermelon. I think I now have a new favourite fruit.

  “You OK with me sitting next to you now then?” asks Lauren. “You always used to get up and sit somewhere else.”

  I shake my head and smile. “Yeah,” I tell her. “You can sit next to me.”

  Bonus Bits!

  Football Words

  Here are some examples of football jargon that are used in the book. Did you know what they all meant?

  Gaffer the person who is in charge of the team (the manager)

  Worldie a world class goal

  WAG Wives and Girlfriends (of the football players)

  Quiz Time!

  Why not test your knowledge with these multiple choice questions? Refer back to the story if you need to. There are answers at the end (but no peeking!)

  1. Why does Granddad say he is going to turn into a rabbit?

  A his teeth have grown really long

  B he is eating lots of greens

  C he has big ears

  D he is eating lots of nuts

  2. Who does Wheeler think is at the door when Jackson knocks on it?

  A his dad

  B Ryan

  C the police

  D his teacher

  3. What colour are Lauren Fox’s eyes?

  A blue

  B green

  C brown

  D hazel

  4. What time does Jackson arrive for his date with Lauren?

  A 6.30 pm

  B 6.45 pm

  C 7.00 pm

  D 7.15 pm

  5. What does Forest call Lauren?

  A Lauren

  B Loz

  C Laura

  D Len

  6. Who sees Jackson take Jamal’s phone?

  A the gaffer

  B Forest

  C Ryan

  D Jamal

  7. How does Jackson feel when his team arrives to get rid of Forest?

  A like a general

  B like a thief

  C like a football manager

  D like a police officer

  8. What do Lauren’s lips taste of?

  A blueberry

  B vanilla

  C strawberry

  D watermelon

  Think about it

  Jackson has to make some tough decisions in this story.

  • Why do you think Jackson worries about Forest?

  • Would you have done what Forest asked Jackson to do? Why/why not?

  • How do you think Ryan feels towards Jackson when he sees him taking the phone?

  • What about when he sees Jackson giving the phones to Forest?

  ANSWERS to ‘QU
IZ TIME!’

  1B, 2C, 3C, 4A, 5B, 6C, 7A, 8D

  Look out for more of Jackson’s adventures!

  978-1-4729-4411-5

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  BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION

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  BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  First published in Great Britain 2018

  This electronic edition published in 2018

  Text copyright © John Hickman, 2018

  Illustrations copyright © Neil Evans, 2018

  John Hickman and Neil Evans have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author and Illustrator of this work

  This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN: PB: 978-1-4729-4415-3; ePDF: 978-1-4729-4416-0; ePub: 978-1-4729-4413-9

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