The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3361 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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The rest of my Saturday went very quickly and as I was going to take Danni to her soccer match in Bournemouth, my Sunday would be short-lived too. I had actually packed my laptop so could deal with some emails if I felt up to it, part of me decided they didn't pay me enough for a 7-day week, but I earned more than any of my staff so part of that was extra hour working.

David had prepared us a picnic which would probably feed about 8 people with healthy appetites and Danni would browse it each way as I drove her and then she's eaten a cooked dinner when we got home. I would just have enough to keep me going for a few hours.

We loaded up the car with the picnic bag accessible for Danni's seat, I'd eat while she was running around. The game was against Arsenal Ladies who were title contenders, Bournemouth being closer to the bottom of the women's super league, although I could have been wrong about that as I had no interest in football even though my daughter was quite a well-known player.
I started up the car when Danni asked me if I could go via Francesca's place. I asked why and she told me that Francesca was keen to see her play. I expressed my extreme distaste of this as I'd have to keep an eye on her the whole time that Danni was playing and I had better things to do.

Danni just cajoled me and the next thing we are picking up Francesca and she was dressed a bit more appropriately than for dormousing. She was clad in jeans, boots a thick sweater and a warm coat thing which she was carrying as she sat in the car, Danni moving to sit behind with her on the back seat, I felt like a chauffeuse.

They giggled and ate as I drove and Danni had to navigate to the place they were playing, it seems that many women's teams aren't good enough to use the main stadia. I have news for them, women's soccer is growing faster than men's and soon they will allow it simply to cash in on the turnstile traffic, it also annoyed my feminist viewpoint.

I packed some food into a smaller bag, including a large flask of tea and a couple of sandwiches for myself and asked Francesca if there was anything she fancied. We added another cup and a few biscuits for her as she'd already had lunch and also some sandwiches on the way down. Danni knew better than to touch the tuna ones David had made especially for me. With my handbag strapped across my chest and carrying my laptop case in my right hand and the picnic bag in the left, we followed Danni into the players' entrance. I had to pay to park but we got into the match for nothing as family of players, they could take two apparently.

We ended up in the grandstand which was draughty and had no electricity supply for my laptop, fortunately, it was fully charged and I opened it as soon as we were seated. When Danni has played before I have taken great interest in her games and in her playing them. Now I had some urgent emails to deal with and I almost felt like I be better off in the car except Francesca would be on her own amidst a football crowd, even if women made up the greater part of it.

As Francesca could see everything I did I closed up the computer and bagged it up, if I didn't want her to see what I was doing it would have to wait until I got home which meant I'd have to sacrifice my evening to it. Oh well, it's part of having kids I suppose. I ate my sandwiches, which were lovely, tuna and cucumber a favourite of mine and Francesca had a cup of tea with me. Next time Danni caught me I'd have salmon and tuna sarnies just for a change, another favourite of mine. "How is the boy who left you in the car park?" I asked Francesca.

"Oh, we split up my dad told him to clear off," actually I felt quite sorry for him as he apparently fell down some stairs at home and cracked some ribs, and gave himself a black eye."

"How clumsy of him and you say this was before or after he spoke to your dad."

"About the same time I think," she replied not putting the two together.

"Unlucky coincidence being told off by your dad and having his accident wasn't it."

"Yeah, I suppose it was I hadn't thought of it like that before," she replied to my observation. She obviously didn't know her father's reputation unlike Danni who jokes about mine all the time, usually with her siblings.

We sat and watched the match and Danni was in the mix from the beginning often on the bad side of it as she was fouled continuously, she was obviously seen as a danger by the Arsenal defence and they gave her a lot of stick, mind you having a blind referee didn't help. Francesca made her displeasure known in no uncertain terms and I also learned a few new words and phrases all translated from Pompey.

Amazingly, the teams were still to score when the first half ended and we felt satisfied that Arsenal had not had it all their own way a fact some of their supporters who were seated in front of us lamented.

We had another cuppa while we waited and a Tunnock's choccie wafer each. I pulled my coat more tight around me as the draughts were penetrating bits they didn't usually find. The second half got underway and almost immediately Bournemouth attacked and a certain Danielle Cameron scored a goal. It was so quick I almost missed it, like the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Arsenal came at them like demons but the defence held and on a breakaway by Bournemouth, that same Cameron hit a thirty-yard shot which the goalie just didn't see. Mind you it curled all over the place before smashing into the top left-hand corner.

Arsenal saw their rating falling and threw everyone into attack Danni was passed the ball and she smashed it up at the goal catching the keeper out of position and she just watched as it sailed over her head and bounced into the goal. Three nil to Danni, Francesca was screaming her support as Danielle had scored a hat-trick. I hadn't seen her play like this since her England days, she was possessed.

Some of the oomph had been taken out of Arsenal's attack and Bournemouth began to put it together so much so that Danni was given an almost free shot at the goal and she doesn't miss many of those, it obviously wasn't going Arsenal's way as Danni was now four scores up on them.

They kicked off yet again and Bournemouth managed to steal the ball and their obvious strategy of give it to Cameron had so far worked very well so they passed it to her and she beat one defender slipped past another and was then hacked down in the penalty box. Even I was on my feet calling for the ref to do something, Francesca was calling for capital punishment to be restored for the offender. After consulting with the linesmen a penalty was awarded. Danni was still receiving attention and was on now getting to her feet and limping around, she had received quite a heavy and illegal tackle. After trotting about for a few moments she opted to take the kick herself.

She placed the ball on the spot and walked away then turned and ran at it, having had two smashed at her the goalie chose a side and dived at it even before the ball was kicked whereupon Danielle just tapped it to the empty side and made the score five. The Bournemouth supporters were going wild and the thought of why isn't this girl in the national side as she was head and shoulders above any other player on the pitch? Her legs were still giving her trouble and she was replaced after the kick-off and Arsenal just got worse as they ended up 7 goals to nil. They expected to win easily and were shown the problems of being the favourites and the way it can affect performance and morale when it doesn't happen. Besides, they met a player on superlative form who, playing to impress a friend, ran rings around them and they just collapsed.

I thought about the way she played and it struck me as almost boy-like was there a motive to it, was she trying to impress Francesca and why? They are both girls but it felt as if I was missing something here, some hidden message, and did Francesca know it or not. It gave me food for thought.

I would speak to Danielle on her own some time and see if she knows what is happening, Francesca is quite a pretty girl, but then so is Danni. She has a figure to die for and once she gains weight in her thirties, I suspect will be far bigger than I am, although breastfeeding caused mine to almost double in size and they have mostly stayed that way. Simon doesn't complain that my breasts are so small these days, can't think why?

I drove the girls home, dropping off Francesca at her house whereupon Danni scooted into the front passenger seat to continue home and our dinners. I was starving but curiosity was getting the better of me. It was teatime on a Sunday afternoon but there would never be a better time to catch Danielle on her own so I pulled into a lay-by and switched off the motor.

Danielle was surprised and almost thought we were home being a bit dozy after her afternoon of exercise. "Right, answer me this missy," I started, is there anything going on between you and Francesca?"

She blushed, "Why do you ask?" she replied.

"Because it feels as if there is."

"What do you mean?"

"You played like someone showing off down the park because their girlfriend was watching."

"Don't be daft, it was all planned."

"What seven goals against one of the best teams in Europe," my face told her I didn't believe her.

"I'm no lesbian," she said rather emphatically, rather too emphatically.

"I wasn't saying you were."

"You were implying it."

"Was I?"

"Yes, you were, if my girlfriend..."

"I wouldn't worry if you were, you have the same right as anyone to fall in love and we often can't always choose who that is."

"What are you going on about?"

"Danielle, I am no fool and I probably know you better than anyone, I just want you to be happy and Francesca is not a good idea because of her father, you heard what happened to her old boyfriend I don't want it to happen to you because if he lays a finger on you I shall make him pay for it and your dad would rip his head off. We love you too much to see you risk it all for a gangster's daughter."

"We're just friends, honest." The blush that nearly set fire to the car was enough to convince me something was going on, perhaps she hadn't actually recognised it yet.

"I can almost taste that roast beef, let's get home, eh?"

She nodded as I started the car. "Mum, there is nothing going on."

"I see, you regularly score five goals against the league leaders, do you."

"I do alright, they were overconfident and we showed 'em."

"You destroyed them, you were head and shoulders above anyone there today, you should be playing for the Lionesses and this afternoon you showed them why."

"Oh, Mummy don't go on about that, I thought we put that to rest."

"Well, I'll be interested in what the papers have to say about that in the morning."

We didn't have to wait that long as the news bulletin showed all five of her goals and the comment from their football correspondent, 'She made the top of the table club look very ordinary and it asks questions why is this woman not in the national side because half of those she thrashed already are?'