The tries kept coming, and frustration ramped up in the Dunedin team with lots of trash talk from Amanda and her closest friends.Jan and Rebecca avoided the drama and played well, but Maia’s team rattled them.
When they started the second half, Maia let the insults and snarky comments roll off her.
“Let’s go,” her captain encouraged Maia and the others.
Their fullback caught the ball and rushed forward, dodging a tackle before passing to Maia.
“Go, Maia!”someone shouted from the sideline.
She raced forward, sidestepping once, twice, and tossing the ball to her teammate.Maia continued running, keeping up with the play of the ball.
The tackle came out of nowhere, and she hit the ground hard, the collision knocking the air from her lungs.
“Off the ball tackle, ref,” someone from the sideline shouted.
The referee either didn’t hear or hadn’t seen because play continued.Maia picked herself up once the player hauled their body off hers.Amanda.Of course, it was.Amanda didn’t check on Maia but raced away as if the illegal tackle hadn’t happened.
Maia stretched gingerly.She was sore but uninjured.She ignored Amanda and threw herself back into the game.
Amanda charged at Maia when she had the ball, her expression one of rage.Maia couldn’t avoid the tackle.The contact stole her breath and sent her flying.It was also too high—a dangerous tackle—and Maia saw stars when she struck the ground.
The referee’s whistle blew, halting play.He trotted over to speak with the linesmen before returning and withdrawing a red card from his pocket.
Amanda argued with the referee before whirling to take a swing at Maia.
“Amanda,” Jan said, her tone sharp and authoritative.“Stop.The referee has given you a red card.Get off the field so we can resume play.”
Amanda’s face twisted.“You are not the boss of me.Nothing wrong with my tackle.The ref needs glasses if he thinks I deserve a red card.”
Maia’s captain came forward and spoke to the referee.“There has been lots of play happening off the ball and trash talk.”
“I’m aware,” the referee said, waving his red card.“You made a dangerous tackle.Please leave the field, or I will call off the game.”
“But it’s not fair,” Amanda snapped.
“Amanda,” Jan said.“We can discuss this later with management and the coaches.”
Finally, Amanda left the field, but only after several of her team murmured to her.Maia longed for Henry’s shifter hearing to understand the conversation.
The last half an hour was fast and furious, with Maia’s team running in four tries and their kicker converting each one.At the game’s end, Maia was sore but still running freely, and for that, she was grateful.
Once the final whistle blew, Maia’s team lined up to thank the opposition, but many of the Dunedin players walked off without acknowledging them.It was poor sportsmanship, and Maia was glad she no longer had an association with them.
Their team went into a huddle.
“Well done, everyone.We kept our heads and didn’t let them needle us.We’re in the next round,” their captain ended gleefully.“This is our best result in three years.All we need to do is work hard, and the title is ours for the taking.”
“Uh-oh,” one of their team said in warning.
Maia glanced to the right to see an enraged Amanda stalking toward them.Henry and Gerard were also heading their way, and Maia relaxed.Amanda couldn’t do more than shout at her in public.It hadn’t been Maia’s fault Amanda had lost her temper, resulting in the referee sending her off the field.
“This is your fault,” Amanda shouted, spittle flying and red patches of temper on her cheeks.“You enjoy making me look stupid.”
“Think she’s doing that all on her own,” someone said.
Maia ignored the other woman.A red card meant a committee would look at Amanda’s case and decide on disciplinary action.It was nothing to do with Maia.
Maia grinned at Henry.Her man.The more time she spent with him, the more she tumbled in love with the man.She took half a step toward Henry.
