Age 15, The Football Accident
Leah POV (Age 15)
Her mate was good at whatever she set her mind to but she was especially good at cello and soccer. Leah did her best to always attend her mate’s big matches and recitals, knowing that it made Fatin smile to see her there watching. She enjoys it too: watching her mate flourish at things she loves. Things they’ve grown into as a huge part of both of their lives.
Leah, as always, attended Fatin’s soccer game that week. It was a home match against a school from another state that Fatin spent hours getting pumped up for. Even the cheerleaders had developed a new routine for the occasion as it was one of the biggest games of the season.
Most were surprised they had made it through as sports wasn’t something their school was known for.
She adored watching Fatin play, especially as they got older, Leah began to appreciate the sight of her mate wiping the sweat from her cheeks with her shirt or tackling someone with a grunt of annoyance that made her cheeks heat.
Whilst sports never took her interest, Fatin playing football always did. With the years her appreciation changed and morphed from joy and encouragement to flushed cheeks and a growing warmth in her as she watched on. Whenever Fatin got covered in mud and instructed her team, Leah wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
“Jeez, doesn’t that hurt?” Ian asked as a girl tackled one of their team so hard that she fell and hit her head against the grass.
“I guess. I doubt it feels good.”
“Shouldn’t they wear protection or something?”
“They have shin guards.”
“What about the rest of them?”
Leah had seen Fatin coming home in all different states. A graze across her back, a twisted ankle, a cut across her brow so deep she required stitches. “It’s part of the game I guess.”
She had never thought much about it. Fatin never appeared phased and quite enjoyed when Leah had to apply antibacterial cream to her burns and grazes. Leah had thought that perhaps she did it on purpose just to have her doting over her for a couple of days.
So, Leah watched on with a smile, cheering whenever their team scored a goal. She yelled, bouncing with Ian who had no clue what was going on but enjoyed the environment and cheered too.
They were winning, up by two as Fatin pointed and winked at her after a shot landed in the back of the net.
“That one was for you babe!”
Leah blushed, dropping her chin as she chewed on her lip to hide her smile.
“You two are so couple-ish.”
“We’re mates.”
“Exactly, it’s gross,” Ian said with a grin.
The third point was scored, though this one by the other team. The girls on the other side became more aggressive and tense as the game went on, clearly surprised to be losing when their team normally won.
Leah noted them being harsher with tackles, getting yellow cards flashed at them when they got too cocky with their moves. However, one move went slightly too far and Leah watched it in slow motion.
A girl with red hair dived as Fatin fed the ball toward the goal. The dive was far from legal and ended up with the girl crashing into Fatin’s foot instead of the ball. She took Fatin out, her mate crumpling up on the grass as the whole crowd and home team began to yell and point.
This time Fatin never got up. She remained there, held her foot, and ducked her head away from view until the school medic took a look.
“Come on Leah,” Rana said from behind her. “Let’s go check she’s okay.”
Leah nodded, stepping onto the field. It was shocking in a way that made her chest tense and her breaths fall too fast. Fatin was crying. Silently but crying nonetheless as she sucked on a green whistle.
“It’s most likely broken. The angle isn’t great.”
Rana nodded and they worked on getting Fatin to the hospital.
By the time they got there the green whistle had kicked in, the medicine making Fatin dopey as she poked Leah’s nose. “Oh, hello there. You’re cute, I’m Fatin.”
“That's your mate honey,” Rana said as they helped her into a wheelchair.
“That’s my mate?” Fatin wondered aloud. “I’m so lucky. Your eyes are so pretty, and you have a really great ass.”
“Fatin!” Rana glared at her daughter.
Her cheeks flamed as she rolled her eyes at her drugged mate, letting Fatin take her hand as they rolled her upstairs for X-rays.
“It’s broken,” the doctor said as he wandered into the room an hour later.
“How bad is it?”
“Not the worst I’ve seen but she’ll be on crutches for a while. She’ll likely need some physio too before starting back up with any sports or walking.”
Hushed murmurs filled the room as Rana began to talk with the doctor, asking how they would go about setting it and giving her a cast.
The next day Fatin turned up at her house, grinning and on crutches.
“Hey cutie.”
“Hi. Are you okay?”
“Oh, so okay. These things are fun!” Fatin swung into her house, hitting Leah gently on the behind with a crutch.
“Really?”
“Don’t kill my fun. If I’m on these things I get to be an annoying bitch for a month.”
Laughing, Leah tugged her closer to kiss her. “Do you want something to eat?”
“Yes. Then can you paint my nails for me on my feet? I can’t reach them and I can’t get a pedicure until next week.”
“Sure, do you want that yellow polish you left behind?”
“Oh my god yes, that would be so cute.”