Tiana's Story

Chapter 42

A/n: I don't know if you can tell but I am really trying to finish this book soon 😭.

"COME ON ENGLAND!" I scream. My voice laced with emotion. I'm right down by the pitch. By the board. By the stewards. If England win this we're through to the finals. If England win this it's one step closer to football coming home. I look up at the clock.
120. Extra time has passed. The score remains 0-0. You might be thinking what a boring game but the opposite really. What an exciting game. I have to admit Australia are really pulling through right now. But England. We have to win this.

The whistle blows.

Penalties.

I go back up to my mom while they organise the pens. We are looking at the pitch. I'm stood in-front of her and her hands are on my shoulders. She's massaging them gently and I can tell she's nervous. Leah wins the call. She calls first. Why the fuck would she wanna do that i don't know?

Georgia lines up. Deep breath. 7 small steps back. She's mastered this. The whistle blows. She shoots. It's going towards the left. The keepers got a hand to it. But that's not enough the ball is in the back of the net.

Caitlin is up. Mary is ready. Deep breaths. Staring into eyes. She dives the right way but the ball is in the back of the net.

Ella toone. She places the ball down after weighing it . 5 steps back. She passes it bottom right. Keeper saves it.

"COME ON GIRLS!"

Samantha Kerr. Places the ball down. Mary is ready. Deep breaths. She dives the right way. What a save.

Rachel's turn. Four steps back. Three deep breaths. The whistle blows and boom. Back of the net.

Mary Fowler. Mearps is ready. No more balls are going in that net. Mearps dives the right way but the woodwork saves it.

Alex Greenwood. Quick and easy pen. Slots it back of the net.

"COME ONNNN!"

Mary's ready. She looks the Katrina Gorry up and down. She reads her perfectly but they just score.

"HEADS UP ENGLAND!"

Beth Mead. My mother. If she scores we're in the final.

"COME ON MUM!"

She juggles the ball in her hands for a minute or so. She places it down.

"LETS GO BETH!"

3 large steps back. 2 to the side. Just like when we play in the garden.

"PLEASE MUM!"

One look at the keeper. The whistle blows.

"ENGLAND ARE THROUGH! BETH MEAD HAS DONE IT!" Those words of the commentators fill my head.

My mum slotted the ball right down the middle.

She runs up to the corner flag. She knee slides. The whole team is on her. I'm crying. Moms crying. Grandads crying. Uncle bens crying. We haven't even won the World Cup and the atmosphere is unreal. I give my mom that look and she nods. I run down the steps and towards the pitch.
"MUM!" I yell. She looks at me. She comes over and hugs me. She takes me onto the pitch.
"Tia listen. One day this will all be for you." She says referring to the crowds of people cheering. Chanting. Shouting. Screaming.
"I love you." I say smiling. She pulls me into her and kisses me on the head. We go back towards the side of the pitch. There's millions of fans pushing and shoving but mum sees her family. Our family. She gives mom a kiss and grandad and Ben a hug. She tells them how she loves them and will talk soon. She helps me climb back over. And blows us all kisses as she runs away.

Two hours after the game. I'm back at the hotel me and mom are staying at. Moms in the shower and her phone rings. I look at it.
"Hey mum." I say through the phone.
"Hey baby. How you doing?" Mum asks. She looks so happy right now.
"Good. What a game that was!" Mum just laughs.
"Im glad you think so." She replies laughing.
"Why the fuck did Leah decide to go first though." I say as if Leah was the most weird person in the world. Mum laughs.
"First off watch that tongue. Second off that was the way we trained." Mum reasons.
"I suppose I can let her off. When's the final?" I ask her.
"Four days from now. Where's your mother." Mum tells me.
"She's in the shower. Oh she's out now want to speak to her." I ask.
"Yeah go on then." Mum tells me. I give the phone to mom before telling them both that I'm going in the shower. I go in. I wash my hair. I wash my body. The Luke warm water feels nice on my tanned skin. As I get out I grab one of the hotel towels. I might make mom get me one of these when we get back to England. I'm obsessed. When I dry off enough I put on one of the hotel robes. I dry my hair gently with a towel. I took the braids out a few days ago. I place my hair in a bonnet and walk out.
"I'm tired night mom night mum." I say to my parents who are both still on call.
"Night baby." My mum says though the phone.
"Night darling." My mom says. I lay down I pull the covers over my body and I swear I'm asleep within a minute.