Teams | A Jamie Johnson FanFiction

Part 4 - The Plan

"Are you okay?" I ran up to Jamie, as he sat down in an alleyway a couple of streets away from school, putting his head in his hands.

"Mike lied to me."

"Your Grandad?" I asked, sitting down next to him.

"Made out like he was some brilliant player, but he never told me about Hansard."

I tried to piece this information together with what I had heard from Dillon outside the toilets a few minutes before.

"Maybe you don't know the whole story." I said, trying to make him feel better.

"Or maybe he is just a Fancy Dan. "

"A what?" I asked, maybe this was some sort of football talk.

"Dillon and Harry called me it, and then said Mike was one too."

"Why don't you tell someone?"

"And give Dillon another excuse to wind me up? No thanks." He looked disappointed, at Mike maybe, but maybe at himself. "I can't even get back at him on the pitch now I'm banned." He looked up at me, suddenly looking hopeful. "You don't happen to be any good at football, do you Bella?"

I hesitated, and then lied. "I can't even kick a ball."

"Oh right." For the hundredth time in this conversation he looked disappointed.

"Anyway, I've got to get going, I'll see you later."
I wandered home, thinking about what Jamie had said.

"There he is." Indira said.

"Raymondo Bernard." Jack said, nodding, as a man got out of a car which had pulled up just outside school.

"And check out the son." Indira said smiling, as a boy baring a striking resemblance to his father followed him up to the school. "You could cut yourself on those cheekbones."

I rolled my eyes, but they seemed to fix back in the boys face for some reason. He looked my way and I felt myself grow hot. Did I fancy him? No. I said to myself. No boyfriends this year. As if he would acknowledge me anyway.

"Everyone's making such a big deal over it." Jack said.

"I know right." said Indira, staring at the boy obsessively, I doubt she even heard what Jack said. Indira then turned to Jamie, "Still banned from the team?"

"Yeah, and?"

"I heard that he, " she gestured to the footballer's son. "is gonna take your place on the team." Indira said, still staring in the boy's direction, and applying another layer of lip gloss, smiling. Miss Savage had called Dillon over and they were all deep in conversation with the boy and his father.

Jamie seemed to ignore Indira's gossip.

"Bella, can I have a word?" he looked worried.

I looked up in surprise. "Sure."

We wandered over to somewhere more private at the front of the school. I felt more relaxed around Jamie after our conversation the day before, I felt like I could talk more normally around him, not my normal shy self.

"I need your help." he said.

"What?" I wondered what on earth Jamie could want from me, we weren't even friends a few days ago.

"I keep hearing about Hansard dropping me too, mostly from Dillon obviously. I mean, I injured his grandson and he's definitely gonna pick that new kid over me, isn't he? He doesn't even like me."

"You don't know that." I tried reassuring, but pretty much everyone in the school knew that.

"Yes, I do. Anyway, I need a favour."

I looked at him waiting for him to continue, as he tried to find the words.

"I know you said that you don't play football, but I was wondering if you could join the team, just so that Hansard won't be able to drop me."

"Okay, one: that plan doesn't make any sense, and two: I can't play football." I said apprehensively, knowing that this would never work. 

"Look, all you have to do is join the team for a while, so the new boy doesn't take my place, and then when I'm un-banned, you can drop out, and I can take my place."

"So you want to use me?" I asked, feeling annoyed at him all of a sudden. He wanted to use me, just to keep his place on the team.

"No! I just really need to keep my place. Please Bella. I'll do anything." he seemed really desperate now as he replied, practically pleading with me.

"I would, but I can't play football, you know that." I said, but that might not have been the whole truth.

"I can teach you, please."

When I stopped to think about it, he got down on his knees and began to beg. "Please! Please please please please please..."

I laughed. "Fine."

But inside, I was terrified.