Seeing Red

It was a warm spring day when I walked onto the field. The Sun was bright but behind cloud so that it lit without glaring in the eye or burning skin. Ideal weather for football.

Sam was already waiting, bouncing the ball off his chest, red shirt pulled taut across it. “Hey Steve.” Behind him I saw Sue at the edge of the pitch. She looked away.

Bitch.

“Yeah. Sorry I’m late.” He headed the ball to me, I caught it and rolled it under my foot. “Got held up.” I lied. “I only get a turn to be captain every month or so. Not gonna miss it.”

“Ditto,” he grinned. Playing the chum. Who the fuck did he think he was? He continued. “I was here first though so I’ll lead off the picks. Marion.”

Fuck. I wanted her, we had had some great teamwork before. I bet he fucking knew. I grabbed Mo, he Barney, me Ian, he Sumira, me Kylie, and on through the crowd here for our usual match. Sue stayed at the edge. She didn’t play, she was just here to watch - watch Sam, of course. He walked over and gave her his whistle with an exaggerated bow. “If you’d do the honours.”

He came back and we set the ball up. I pulled out a coin. “My coin, your call.”

“Calling heads.”

Flip, catch, heads it was. Fucker. His kick off, as soon as the whistle went. And it did.

And we were off. Shouts went up in the air. He sent his ball straight to Sumira, but Ian tackled her and it shot out uncontrolled from the tangle. Marion picked it up. She surged down the pitch, outpacing my midfield. I closed but not fast enough. Mo caught her from the other side and she passed to Barney, but Kylie was on him and took it before he could send it on. She passed to me.

I caught the ball and ran. I knew Marion was chasing me but she wasn’t fast enough. I was the fastest guy on the field and they all knew it. Sumira ran in front of me, attempting to intercept. I stepped left, then turned right and slipped past her easily. Piece of cake. This is how you do it, fuckers. I broke towards the goal. Ian to my right, could pass but Sam was right there and I could just break right past him and hit the goal. Same trick as before, I feinted left and went right, but Sam moved the same way and his feet swept past mine and the ball was gone with him.

“Fuck!”

He was off up the pitch and sent the ball flying. My team was out of place. It landed with Marion and she ran again, passed to Barney, got it back and she sent it flying into the goal. Sam threw up his hands and cheered as I walked up. He turned around as I arrived and had just enough time to look surprised as I pulled my fist back and smashed his smug fucking face in. He fell over backward. Breath thundered in my head. His hand was on his face, it slipped away, dripping red.

“Jesus Christ!”

“What the fuck Steve?”

The others crowded, around Sam and around the two of us. Looking at me with some disgust, mostly shock. I backed away. I tried to think of some solution, some action that would make that not have happened.

“Is he alright?”

“Sam, you alright?”

“Didn’t they... you know, Sue...”

“Guess he flipped.”

Sue ran up to him, muscled past the crowd, put something to his face. She glanced at me. She looked scared. Red on her hands. Then she was looking at him again and I turned and fled.