Hey Everyone, Thanks for reading!! Please Review and Let me know what you think. I'll take any feedback you want to give!
******
MAX'S POV (I'm not sure how this will turn out, let me know what you think)
Our coach had emailed out a list early this week of the celebrities who would be playing in our charity match. I doubt most of the girls looked at it, some of the younger girls might have but generally speaking famous people don't hold much appeal to us. We're just not those type of people. But I made the mistake of mentioning it Bells and she felt the need to see it, just so she could figure out who she would be seeing in a week. That was how I found out Danny would be playing.
I still haven't figured out what that kid was playing at. I know his band does a lot of stuff for charity. Bells has always kept me updated on what they are up to, because even though I take my fair share of responsibility at our not ever seeing each other anymore, I still care. When I was growing up, his family and Bells were all I really had. I even know some of their music, I would never admit this to him but sometimes it was nice to just listen to his voice come out of the speakers. It was almost like he was playing beside me again.
I had watched his interview yesterday morning and was impressed with how well he carried himself. To my knowledge, nothing of our previous connection had been released yet and he didn't mention it either. I wondered if he even knew I was on the team. I knew he had to be busy with McFly and kind of doubted he was the type of person watch news reports. It would be a great day either way. I was looking forward to seeing him and I had checked with management when I found he was coming and discovered he had locked in seats for his mum and Vicky too. Bells was obviously going to be there too. She wouldn't have missed it for the world. I had even managed to arrange it so she was sitting next to the Jones' although she didn't know it yet. Plus she was joining me for the after party. The actor from her favorite medical show was going to be there and I know she was itching to get an autograph.
We ran through training with our celebrities early that morning. Everything went well, they had been well prepared for this match. We were going to have a fun day. I was called off the field early to be prepped for my flag running and to practice the speech I was giving on behalf of BBC. Apparently, they wanted someone who could give a speech and make it 'relatable.' They even let me write it myself and I was looking forward to it.
They were ready to start and the red team was called forward and when they called Danny's name I felt that excited bubbling in my stomach that I feel before every match I play. This was going to be a fun, great day.
My team was called out in turn. I was last because I was running the flag across the pitch. It was huge and I could barely handle it by myself. But at this point I had no choice.
"TOMA MAXWELL," my name reverberated around the pitch and I took off from my spot behind the doors and pulled the flag up behind me. My arms were aching already but I was determined to get to the other side without faltering. Cheers reached my ears and egged me onward. Legs burning with the weight of the flag, I made it to the other end and handed it off, then made my way back to my team.
I looked across at the others and saw Danny's wide, childish grin greeting me. I felt my own smile expand in response. My best friend and I were playing together again. A whistle blew and we ran forward to meet the others. I got to shake the hand of the actor Bells had been raving about all week. Danny was next to him and I couldn't resist holding out my fist like I did every morning for almost eight years. He hit it back with a huge smile and we turned back to our teams.
I bolted up to the stage where the chairman of some board I had never heard of was introducing me. He handed me the mike.
"HELLO FOOTBALL FANS." The crowd shouted and applauded at the sound of my voice. That was encouraging. I wasn't nervous, but worried that I wouldn't be able to get my message across clearly.
"I want to start out by thanking everyone for being here today," more cheers.
"Today's charity event goes up for BBC's Children in Need campaign. I know you are all aware of the issues the Children in Need umbrella covers, but I'm here to tell you a bit more specifically what today's donation will be doing. There are children who are removed from their homes everyday because of violence or drug and alcohol problems in their families. These children are then shuffled off to random foster care or sometimes even left to their own devices.
"It is pretty common knowledge at this point that I was brought up in a household similar to those described. My father was violent and my mother, being unable to properly handle the position this put her in, turned to the bottle. When he left it got even worse. I'm not telling you this to make you feel sympathetic toward me or to try and bring down the awesome energy I have felt in here so far today, because clearly it all worked out for me in the end. I'm telling you how to make a difference. I'm telling you what can make the difference.
"There was a family in my life who kept me from becoming like my parents had been.
"When I was eight I got into a fistfight, which is where I first broke my nose. Something I'm sure everyone has noticed by now," I got some laughs at this. "The other kid's mom insisted on taking me to the hospital. From that point on it was like she had adopted my sister and myself into her home. We did homework there and played with her kids. She kept us safe and when my mother died she took my sister in so she could finish school where she grew up and wouldn't have to be with strangers.
"This made the difference in my life. Her son, who as I said, I punched the first day I met him, was the one who told me I could be a great player if I put my mind to it. He was the only person to ever have complete confidence in me. They are my family and I would not be here today without them. So could everyone please give a warm round of applause to my adopted mum, who is here today, her loving family, and everyone who had ever made a difference in the life of a child."
I joined in clapping and turned to where I knew Mrs. Jones was sitting. I had shed no tears, crying wasn't something I had ever really done. Wasted motion, I'd rather pent it up and expel it on the pitch. My part of the speeches was done and I made my way back to the field to warm up with the others.
Standing right behind me, just off the steps up to the stage was Danny. He had an even look on his face but his blue eyes were twinkling. I stepped down and he swept me into the biggest, most sincere hug I had ever received. I didn't even care that the whole crowd was watching and wee would undoubtedly be romantically linked together in the tabloids when the weekend was over. He didn't say anything; he didn't have to. I held him closely. My best friend and I were playing together again. That is what this day was going to be about for me.
We parted and I walked back to my team, no words necessary. My girls nodded at me to let me know it had been fine. I had practiced on a couple of them yesterday to make sure I got the point across properly. Some of the men's team was looking at me a bit strangely and the celebrities had gathered around telling me it was inspirational. Whatever, that part is over, let's play ball.
******
The game was amazing. Danny couldn't imagine playing like this the way professionals did. With McFly he got on stage and performed a routine they practiced over and over until it was perfect. Football wasn't like that because he could never know what the other team was going to do. It was a type of performance with way more adrenaline than performing on stage because you couldn't know the outcome.
The teams had been well divided, which reflected in the matched score. He could tell some of the professional players were holding back but respected their ability to so to keep the game entertaining for the audience and not embarrassing for the celebrities. Although the sometimes pulled out a ridiculous trick that they would never pull in a real game just to add to the entertainment value. One of the women tossed in an out of bounds ball by doing a front flip, using the ball instead of her hands. He was shocked at how efficient that ended up being. The ball went further than any of the others that day. He had played more than he had expected to. It turned out the World Cup team had a huge part in designing the event and they really wanted the teams to be a least half pro/ half celebs while playing, which he thought was good of them. They were more interested in what the public wanted than getting airtime themselves.
He had fun. Playing at the same time as Max was a rush in itself. She was playing her usual position of sweeper, settled between the defenders and the midfielders, and he was playing a right side midfielder. She had been careful to avoid any ridiculous tricks, but he knew she could do them. Instead, she chose to set up her teammates, usually celebrities for magnificent shots or plays. He was focusing on not making a fool of himself. Toward the end of the game he even managed to make a magnificent cross to set up one of his team members at the goal. He had enjoyed the day and was glad he had begged Fletch to get him in.
The game concluded, the blue team leading four goals to three. Danny was fine with the loss. He hadn't scored but had an assist to his name, which he thought was pretty good. Max hadn't scored either, but she had remained further back than she did during tournament play. She was good about not stealing anyone's glory even though she was the big name on the World Cup team right now. The Max he knew in the past would have been excited to have her hard work recognized. The Max he was seeing on the field now was more focused on her team, carefully leading them through the steps to succeed. He didn't know who she really was any more. But if they had fun at the party tonight he intended to keep in touch at the very least, providing she wanted that too.
Shaking hands with the opposing team afterward was one of those things that had to be different in real matches because the air of geniality was so high. Everyone was laughing together, congratulating each other, and commenting on the amount of fun they had.
Danny ran up to Max who was talking to other World Cup team members. He was behind her, but the girls she was talking to smiled at him as he arrived. They clapped Max on the shoulder and walked around her. He thought he noticed some flirty grins coming him way, chose to smile back politely, and gave a full on million watt smile to Max as she turned around.
Her smile was a clone of his own. She reached out and punched him in the shoulder in greeting, which was something else they always used to do. But he had forgotten how hard she could hit and knew that with all the added muscle it was probably even harder. He unconsciously rubbed it while giving her his opening line.
"Great game," he told her, hoping he wouldn't come off too dorky.
"Thanks," she was clearly on a bit of an adrenaline high. "You too. That cross was brilliant." Her voice alone made him feel like he was back at home with their sisters eating cookies his mum had baked fresh after school.
"Let's go find Mum, Vicky, and Isabella, she is here right?"
"Of course she is, that actor guy who plays the American doctor is here. She's crazy about him. I think she's been plotting a way to get an autograph all week."
"Hugh's a good guy. I trained with him all week so I don't mind introducing them tonight at the party if she comes."
"She'll love you forever. She's definitely coming. She says it's time for her to take advantage of my 'celebrity status' while it lasts."
Danny laughed. He hung his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the stands. "Let's go say hi to our girls, okay?"
"Excellent," they took off together, heading in the direction of the three women waving at them from the stands as the rest of the bleachers slowly filed out.
"Were they sitting together the whole time?" Danny asked, "Or did they find each other afterwards?"
"When I found out you were playing, I checked to see what seats you had reserved for your mum and Vicky and made sure Bells' seat was next to theirs. She didn't know either, so I bet she was shocked she sat down."
"Nice touch."
"I thought so."
By the time they made it to the stands, the three women had made it to the bottom bleachers, but there were still several kids lining the railings hoping some of the players would be by for autographs. Danny was amazed at how well Max took to the kids and signed the pictures of her they each seemed to have. He was asked for a couple autographs but she was clearly the favourite of the day. It didn't bother him at all, in fact he found it enjoyable to watch her talk to them about football, what positions they played, and their favourite teams. He took it upon himself to get the girls down on the pitch so they wouldn't be surrounded by the kids, who Max continued to entertain for quite some time.
The last kid she signed a picture for was a little girl with shining blue eyes and dishwater blonde hair.
"You remind me very much of my favourite person in the whole world," she said to the little girl, who couldn't have been older than six.
The little girl blushed and smiled, "Really? Who?"
"My sister," Max said with a smile as she crossed her X at the end of her name. She signed everything with a simple "MAX" is big block-like lettering. "Keep smiling, okay?"
"Okay," the little girl showed off a huge grin with her two front teeth missing. "Thanks," and she ran off to her waiting parents.
Max made her way over to them by maneuvering around the people still left on the field but as soon as she had a clear shot she took off running. She had Danny's mum wrapped in a hug so tight it looked like she would never let go. She moved on to Vicky, then Bells, who was jumping up and down in excitement.
Max could tell she was trying really hard not to blurt out what she was so excited she about.
"What?" Max sighed with amused exasperation.
Bells couldn't hold it in any longer, "Danny's going to introduce me to THE Dr. House."
Max laughed and wrapped her strong arm around her sister's shoulders. "I'm so happy for you," the happy sarcasm evident in her voice.
"Let's get dinner together before the party," Danny's suggestion was well received and they went out together, as a family.