Free Missing! by Bali Rai Page B

coordination,’ Mr James told us.
    â€˜And us girls have got it . . .’ said Parvy.
    â€˜OK,’ added Mr Turner, looking at me. ‘Get ready. On my whistle, I want all the number ones to run forwards. Each time I blow on it, I want you to switch.’

    I nodded at him.
    â€˜Go!’ he shouted before blowing on his whistle.
    I started to run forwards slowly and Abs tried to match my steps. But I’m taller than Abs and I’ve got longer legs so he couldn’t keep up. After about ten steps he fell over in the mud.
    â€˜Come on, Abs, Jason!’ shouted Miss Rice. ‘It’s easy!’
    Abs complained, but got up and we started again. Then Mr Turner blew his whistle once more. This time I started to go backwards, but Abs didn’t realize that we’d changed and we let go of each other’s shoulders.
    â€˜Come on, lads!’ Mr James said to us. ‘Coordination . . .’
    After a while we began to get it right.
    â€˜We’re dancing,’ Abs said to me. ‘Like girls.’
    â€˜Just concentrate,’ I told him.
    â€˜Skirts,’ he said. ‘I’m telling you!’
    I was about to say something to him but he fell over again. I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. Everyone else joined in too.

Saturday
    MY MUM GAVE me a lift to the game at Langton Blues and when I got there Dal, Chris and both their dads were already there. Langton’s home ground was at a school called Brookside High which was on the other side of the city. It was cold and wet and the rain was getting down the back of my hooded top. I walked over to my mates and asked them if anyone else from our team had arrived. Dal shook his head.
    â€˜The girls are coming with Miss Rice,’ he told me. ‘I don’t know about the rest of the lads . . .’
    â€˜Where’s Abs?’ I asked.
    â€˜His brother is bringing him,’ replied Chris.
    â€˜I hope he stops moaning,’ I said. ‘He was going on and on at training . . .’
    Chris nodded. ‘He’s like a baby,’ he joked. ‘I might get him some nappies.’
    â€˜I bet he’d even moan about them,’ added Dal.
    â€˜I wonder if you can get Man U nappies,’ continued Chris. ‘We could get him some for his birthday.’
    Abs is a Manchester United fan whereas I support Chelsea. Chris and Dal both like Liverpool. All four of us are always taking the mickey out of each other and Abs is the biggest culprit.
    â€˜What teams do the girls support?’ I asked.
    We had five girls in our squad – Lily, Parvy, Emma, Penny and Gem – and I didn’t know too much about them. Lily was the loudest, followed by Parvy, but the rest of them were quite shy. Or that’s what it seemed like to me.
    â€˜Lily likes Arsenal,’ Dal told us.
    â€˜You
would
know that!’ laughed Chris.
    â€˜What does that mean?’ asked Dal, looking confused.
    Chris smirked. ‘Well, she
is
your girlfriend,’ he said.
    â€˜No she
isn’t
!’ protested Dal. ‘That’s just her being stupid . . .’
    â€˜Well, I don’t know who she supports,’ I added, joining in with Chris. ‘She doesn’t tell
me
her secrets . . .’
    Dal went red. ‘She doesn’t tell me any secrets,’ he protested. ‘She just told me who she supports at training last week . . .’
    Chris looked at me and winked. ‘Youmean, when you were both alone together?’
    Dal went even redder. ‘We were not alone together!’ he shouted, loud enough for our parents, who were standing having a boring adult conversation, to hear.
    â€˜Everything OK, lads?’ asked Chris’s dad.
    â€˜Yeah, Dad,’ said Chris, looking put out.
    â€˜OK,’ replied his dad before turning back to my mum.
    Everyone else turned up about ten minutes later and we went to get