Page 74 of Playing By Ear

Even as Jamie’s breaths verged on wheezes and his legs turned to lead, he searched for a way through. Probing. Creating chances.

A short pass to Evan.

A long pass to Duncan.

A longer, diagonal pass to Colin.

None produced a goal, but each came closer.

A glance at the clock showed three minutes left, plus added time. Jamie could taste the Warriors’ impending goal. Maybe it would be his.

The new Balornock central defender stole the ball from Duncan and whipped it up the pitch to Haggerty. The wind hindered it, so Haggerty had to slow his pace. He chested the ball down and tried to control it, but it pinged off the outside of his boot and shot toward the touchline.

Later, Jamie would wonder why he hadn’t let it go out of play for a Warriors throw-in. It would’ve given them time to set up an attack. But in the moment, with the wind whistling and the Rainbow Regiment roaring, instinct ruled.

He dashed forward, catching the ball as it brushed the touchline, that pure menacing white line that slithered through his footballing nightmares.

Then he took off. The aches in his limbs, in his lungs, faded away. There was only the goal.

Haggerty was on him in an instant, trying to steal the ball back. Jamie did a quick spin, keeping his body between the ball and the winger. Haggerty chased it in a circle like a chained dog. Then Jamie zoomed on without him.

Up ahead, Colin and Duncan entered the eighteen-yard box, well-marked but fighting to get free of their defenders. Jamie cut inside, looking for an opening. A few more steps and he would take the shot himself.

“Jamie, to my feet!” Evan surged toward the edge of the box, a Balornock midfielder on his heels.

Jamie darted a low pass in front of him. Still running, Evan struck on his first touch, blazing the ball into the far corner of the net.

“Yyyyaaaaaaaaaasss!”—the sweetest sound in the world—burst from the Regiment with a force that brought tears to Jamie’s eyes.

Evan sprinted toward the touchline, grabbing Jamie along the way. Together they leapt in circles like a pair of puppies.

“That pass was perfection!” Evan shouted as the other Warriors enveloped them, jumping and screaming.

He will score goooooals

He will score them all…

The Rainbow Regiment bounced as they sang the viral chant to the tune of Gala’s “Freed from Desire.” Jamie picked out Perry dancing with the crowd, arms raised at this resurrection of hope.

Evan’s on fire

Your defense is terrified…

“Well done!” Charlotte called out. “Let’s keep the head until the whistle!”

Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, NA, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na!

The fourth official beside her signaled five minutes of added time. To Jamie’s legs it might as well have been five years, as the draining adrenaline left them numb.

But the Rainbow Regiment gave him strength as they sang to the Mariah Carey Christmas tune:

Jamie you drive it down the pitch

Faster than a swarming midge

Make our wish come true

All we want for Assist-mas is yoooooouu!