A Second Chance

Chapter 13 - Meadow Park

A few days later you are making your way onto the coach at Colney ready to travel to Meadow Park for the first time.
You're not playing yet but you still want to be there to support the girls and see where you'll be playing in the not so distant future.

As you walk up the coach you feel a hand grab yours and pull you to sit down, you turn and see Leah sat next to you with Katie and Jen sat opposite you.
"And what do i owe this pleasure" you ask as you put your bag away under the seat.

Jen looks at Katie before placing her hands down on the table whilst saying "we need your help".
You look between the three girls sat at the table and say "wow this scares me but continue".

Katie laughs, "i just have this feeling" she starts in her strong Irish accent "i have a feeling that our Beffy may score her comeback goal today and i want to make sure the dressing room is ready for a party after".

"I'm in" you say straight away.
You haven't known Beth for long but you know how hard she's worked for this and how much she deserves this after what she has gone through this last year.

You all high five and continue to talk amongst each other as you make the short trip to Meadow Park.

As you pull up to Meadow Park Leah and Laura give you a tour as everyone goes out to inspect the pitch. You and Leah fill Laura in on the plan and she wipes a tear as she tells you it's an amazing idea.

Leah heads into the locker room to give the girls a prep talk before they go out to warm up. You and Laura make a beeline for the exit, on your way to find the nearest shop.

You walk towards the nearest supermarket, following instructions from your new friend Google Maps.
As you walk you ask Laura more about her ACL rehab and how she's getting on, she asks you about how you feel getting back into football and when you think you'll be ready to get back out for games.

After a short walk you both stop infront of the shopping centre, "right we have around fifteen minutes before the girls start questioning where we are, you hit hobbycraft and i'll tackle b&m. We need balloons, banners, party poppers, alcohol and snacks" you explain whilst pointing out both shops. Laura claps her hands and says "let's go i'll meet you back here in 10", you high five before running off in different directions.

You quickly walk around b&m picking up anything sparkly from the party aisle, you then make your way to the alcohol aisle picking up a couple of bottles of wine, prosecco!
You make your way to the tills and pay before meeting Laura back outside the front. She is also walking out the shop as you do, holding up lots of bags.
"We have definitely gone overboard", you motion to the bags "but Beth deserves nothing less".
"I bloody hope she scores now" Laura laughs as you playfully hit her over the back of the head.

You both rush back to Meadow Park, laughing at each other struggling with the bags and sneak in just as the game starts.
You hide the bags and make your way up the stands to sit with Leah, "we're up one nil already" she says and she motions towards Maanum on the pitch.
"Yes Friddaaaa", Laura shouts towards the pitch earning a few laughs from the people around who saw the two of you arrive late.

Arsenal are dominating this game, the ball constantly being fired towards the goal making you jump up in excitement.
A few minutes later Kyra crossed the ball from the halfway line to Beth who was making a run just outside of the box, she followed it using her right foot before being faced with a defender. She did a quick little fake right before moving to the left.
Beth took one more touch before bringing her left foot back and smashing the ball into the back of the net.

The whole of Meadow Park erupted into cheers for Beth.
You, Leah and Laura all jumped up and cheered at the top of your voices, you turn to Leah and wrap an arm around her waist and squeeze her as she wipes a tear away.

The whole team celebrate together before Katie pushes Beth away to celebrate, she cheers with the fans before kissing both hands and raising them to the sky.

Only twenty minutes later Beth gets her second goal, Alessia is able to keep the ball in before crossing it in just before the goal line. It deflects off Beth but she is able to get a foot on it again and taps it into the goal, the whole place erupts again.

Not long after and the halftime whistle goes, you all run into the changing room chanting 'Meado' and jumping around on a high. Jonas joins in for a few minutes before whistling for everybody's attention.

He basically tells everyone to carry on playing how they were, keep the possession up and keep the clean sheet. Everyone gathers together and puts their hands in the middle before shouting "one, two, three, team!".

The rest of the game goes by quite quickly but nothing really happens, Lia, Viv and Kim all get a few minutes under their belt.
10 minutes before the final whistle you and Laura creep back into the changing room and grab the bags of shopping you'd bought just before the game.

You spend the next 15 minutes decorating the whole changing room with the congratulations banners, colourful balloons and set a table up with the bottles and some plastic cups that you bought, classy.

Not long after you'd finished Leah runs into the changing rooms with a few of the girls, "they're coming" she whisper shouts as you throw them all a party popper and position yourselves out the way of the door.
You hear the chants of 'Meado' getting closer as you all prepare to pull the string.
Viv enters first and puts her thumbs up before ducking out the way, you all cheer and pull the strings as the colourful confetti flies through the air showering a very shocked looking Beth.

Beth looks around at the decorations hung up around the lockers as you see tears begin to fill her eyes, she looks back towards you girls not knowing what to say.

Leah makes her way over to Beth and pulls her in for a hug, rocking her side to side.
"Beth Mead, speechless" Leah smirks.
You all jump as you hear a massive bang behind you, you all turn around and see Katie stood there with an open bottle of prosecco with a cheeky grin on her face.

Beth claps her hands together and shouts "let the party beginnnnn", before grabbing the bottle from Katie and throwing her head back whilst pouring it down her throat.

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