Hot-Shot Harry (4 page)

Charlotte went off and Ravi took her place in goal. He started well enough by making a smart save, but then he let the ball slip through his grasp into the net.

“Try and get part of your body behind your hands,” Mrs Phillips called to him. “That gives you another way to stop the ball.”

“It's only a practice,” Ravi said under his breath. “Doesn't matter if I let in one or two goals.”

But by the time the session ended, Harry had scored another three goals.

“You're a rubbish goalie,” he said to Ravi in the changing room. “Charlie's better than you on one leg.”

“Huh!” Ravi retorted. “I wasn't trying, was I?”

“Course you were. You're just useless,” said Harry.

“Cool it, you two,” said Oliver, stepping between them. “It doesn't matter. Let's just hope Charlie's fit again soon.”

At that moment, Mrs Phillips was looking at Charlotte's ankle.

“I think it will need to be strapped up for a while,” she said.

“I'll be all right for the Fives, won't I?” Charlotte asked.

“You'll have to be,” Leela told her. “None of the boys are any good in goal.”

“It'll be awful if we don't score any goals,” Brad remarked. “Loads of kids are helping to raise money.”

“No worries,” Harry said. He was sure he would score.

“If the worst came to the worst,” said Oliver, grinning, “we could collect the money for each goal we let in!”

Even Harry was now worried about Charlotte's ankle injury. She was still limping around school and had taken no part in practice sessions.

“I'll be OK,” she said again and again. “I don't need to kick the ball, anyway. I throw it most of the time.”

At last Mrs Phillips decided Charlotte was just about well enough to play.

“At least people won't see the strapping on my leg,” grinned Charlotte. “I'll be wearing my lucky red trousers.”

Charlotte had worn the same pair of tracksuit trousers for the whole season.

The squad arrived at the city's main sports centre for the finals in high spirits. The eight teams had all brought lots of supporters and there were plenty of people to cheer.

“Come on, the Reds!” shouted Harry's dad as Harry led the side out into the arena. “Show them how good you are.”

Secretly, Harry's dad hoped that Gateway were not going to be
that
good. He had agreed to pay two pounds for every goal that Harry scored and a pound for other scorers.

Gateway were in Group A, made up of four teams. After the first game, Harry's dad began to think the day might turn out to be pretty cheap. Gateway failed to score at all, losing 2–0 to Ashfield School.

The players couldn't believe how bad they had been.

“We were rubbish!” groaned Oliver, who had missed the best chance of the game.

“If we don't win the next game, we'll be out,” Brad moaned. He had scored an own goal.

At least Charlotte's ankle wasn't too bad, although it did still hurt a little.

“How does it feel?” asked Leela, while they watched another group game being played.

“OK,” Charlotte lied.

Leela said nothing more. She knew that Charlotte would hide any pain for as long as possible.

It was soon Gateway's turn to play their second match. That started as badly as the first.

Even if Charlotte had been fully fit, she would not have been able to stop the ball going into her net after only a minute's play.

“Never mind, Gateway,” called out Mrs Phillips. “Just get on with the game.”

And the players got on with it. Leela drove the ball low into the bottom corner of the net, and danced a little jig of delight.

Then Harry's marker slipped. That gave Harry enough space to blast the ball past the keeper. Now Gateway led 2–1.

“Hot-shot!” Harry yelled then carried the ball back to the centre-spot himself. “Come on, guys! More goals mean more money.”

Harry scored the next goal, too, shooting home from Oliver's pass to secure a 3–1 victory.

After the other two teams had played their next match, Ashfield topped the group. Gateway had one more game to play, against Denton School.

“We'll qualify for the semis if we win or draw,” said Oliver, checking the tables on the big display board.

“Yeah, but if Denton beat us, we're out,” Ravi said.