Chapter Text
|| Kate ||
Joanne Davidson, she is one of the worst Camogie players in the whole of ireland. That includes the Northern part, something Kate never got is the fact Joanne is actually fucking Scottish. Moved over here when she was nine, started playing for Hillside GAA. But the accent still stuck throughout all these years, back to Hillside they are Kingsgate biggest rival, biggest threat, for Kate’s team. They both went to the different highschool that my school were wait for it.. rivals.
Kate Fleming, she is the best Camogie player in the whole of Ireland. That includes the Northern part, she has beaten her long lived rival Joanne Davidson. Ever since she could walk she has been playing Camogie and Gaelic football but her favourite has always been Camogie. Kate has always hated every single player in Hillside they were so dirty and rough and I mean fair enough but christ. Fleming tells us.
Kate writes in her diary, smoothing out the pages with a big smirk wiped across her face. Imagining that she was in some newspaper, that was quickly taken away by Steve bloody Arnott, Steve was Kates best friend. Her biggest fan. Her everything he was like her person? If that made sense.
“Mate I have a major problem, Steph is yapping on about prom and I cannot cope, prom is 3 months away why do youse get all like this? I have bigger things to deal with then a fucking prom. Like what I’m going to do with Alevels or if I shouldn’t bother at all not fucking prom,” Steve raved on. Oh yes Steph, Steph was Steve’s on and off girlfriend she kept on going back to Steve and John Corbett, eventually choosing Steve. He continued on, “Steph is also becoming friends with Jo and mate she’s gay did you know that? She’s going out with Farida, she’s on your team right?”
“Listen mate don’t care, I’m playing Hillside tonight. I’m crushing them I don’t care what you say.” Kate says slamming her diary shut. Also taking a mental note of that new information she was given.
Steve scoffs, “You and Davidson will be playing for Antrim together, you need to make up or whatever the fuck happened between you two.” Kate nodded, deep down she knew he was right. Her and Jo will more than likely be in the same team together. “I’ve got to get a move on mate, lock the door and put the key under the mat?” Steve grunted and then nodded walking into the living room of Kate’s two person flat. Kate looks back at Steve and smiles to herself, her life was going perfectly as she had planed in her little mind.
Oh right Coach Tommy how could I forget about that, Tommy had been preparing Kate to play in the All Ireland’s Camogie Championship all year. Promising Kate of crushing Davidson, he even said she have a chance for captain. Even though she was 19 it would make local news, Jo was three years younger than Kate making her the ripe age of 16. Same class as Steve, Kate was one of the best in Ireland already. But bloody Davidson, she was ‘the best’ how could she? She’s fucking Scottish. It made Kates blood boil, but she got over it like she did everything else. But tonight was the night Kate was crushing Jo, Kate didn’t care what would happen, this match is making history being on BBC Ireland because the nation got so gripped for their angst would you even call it but when tommy became Kingsgates new coach for junior ladies rumours went around that Coach Hunter was actually Jo’s uncle.
Coach Hunter. Kates best coach, he has such a natural talent even though he’s from bloody England. He understood Kates every move and was always finding ways to help her improve. Kate idolised him a little bit too much.
He is the one who told her to fight back against Hillside and Tissue Davidson. Even though they are rough pricks and Kate could never do that Kate uses manipulation on tissue, usually works too. Tissue Davidson is another story in herself, Kate and Jo used to do warm ups together at school when they were competing together. Kate accidentally hit the ball at Jo’s nose and she cried and used the same tissue to wipe her tears as she held it on her bloody nose. No way she would ever live it down, both of them. That’s when their rivalry hit a different level. It was stupid that Jo held a grudge over it.
5PM, two hours before their match Kate arrived at the pitch and of course dirty Hillside were there already, it was a home game for Kate meaning they were playing at Kingsgate pitch.
Kate walked over to see their coach, Ted Hastings yelling at Jo. Bloody suits her, “Joanne you are my captain now start fucking acting like it.” The man shouted, his face was all red. Kates missed something, “Coach Hastings!” Kate shouted over, Ted Hastings was the captain of Antrim’s Ladies Camogie team. Meaning Kate was licking his arse until her team try-outs which were about in five days time. The man rolled his eyes and over walked Jo and Ted to Kate, “Fleming, ready for Jo to crush you?”
Kate snorted, looked Jo in the eyes, “No. I think she will have her eye on someone.” Looked over to where Farida was standing in a subtle way, it was 17:45, not long til warm ups will start, “anyways got to go! good luck.” Kate managed to get them words out sounding nice.
She started jogging around the pitch, taking deep breaths remembering some of her happy memories. Then Kate felt a someone yanking her wrist, “Who told you.” The Scottish voice asked, ‘great fucking Davidson is going into a little gay panic.’ Kate cleared her throat, jogging at a mild pace. “Jatri has had a thing for you since you joined the worst team in the world.” Kate paused looking at the Scot, “and your friends with Steph who I’m friends with.” Jo sighed, “Please just make her keep her mouth shut around U- Tommy.” Jo corrected herself. Kates eyebrows crinkled a little but she just ignored it.
“Fine.” Kate gritted her teeth, before she could even begin to say another word the ref was asking for a picture of us for the Antrim Twitter page. “May we put our kit on first?” Jo asked in such a soft kind elegant voice, the ref nodded and the teams got changed.
Kate had bought a new stick specifically for this match, she got her tape and fixed up the grip so it was just how Kate needed it.
Grabbing her gumshield box and stuffing it down her O’Neills socks and putting her helmet hanging off her camogie stick.
“Picture Ladies.” Tommy said and got a picture with Kate, Jo and the referee. “Good luck Kate go give the team a pep talk.” Coach Tommy says patting Kates back so she does exactly that.
“Ladies in..” she paused to let all her players and subs jog in, she took out her gumshield so they would be able to hear her better, “Listen you know what to do. We have been preparing for this are whole season, Farida no special treatment.” Kate calls out and Farida nodded quickly enough so the girls won’t ask questions. “Let’s do this..let’s crush them. Make them pay and least of all… let make our families proud,” Kate stuck her hand out and everyone else did the same, “1..2…3… KINGSGATE!” and then everyone in Kingsgate got into position.
Kate stood dead in the middle of the field, putting her gumshield back in and putting on her helmet. Pros of having short hair, Davidson jogged up taking her time.
“Whatever you heard Kate, it’s wrong. Farida is a liar, that’s not me.” Jo said in a whisper loud enough for Kate to hear. “Homophobic then?” Kate questioned. No response possibly a dose of internal homophobia but Kate had to win, “Add that to the list you hate about me, Kate Fleming does both.” Jo sighed turned to Kate but then the ref ran up.
Time to get this game fucking started, first half Hillside were winning, 1-12 to 0-14 so fucking close. Tommy gave the team a pep talk, “Kate.. a word,” he said pausing while Kate walked over, “you have to play dirty she is destroying you.” Kate nodded and said to herself in a mutter, “you can do this fleming.”
‘Ball was thrown up, Davidson wins it starts running up the pitch but wait fleming has pulled Davidson to the ground with their stick looks like Fleming has accidentally injured her opponent. By pulling her dominant arm back that seems like it could be a nasty dislocation, let’s see.’ The commentator for the Facebook page says.
A pained cry came out of Jo, she couldn’t speak. ‘Fuck Kate what have you done.’ Her mind is saying to her, Kate gets on her knees and looks at Davidson’s shoulder. “Oh fuck.” Kate says. The medic comes over and rings an ambulance, “Nice one Fleming. I was starting to think you weren’t to fucking bad.” Jo says as she gets into the ambulance.
“Fuck sake I’m a bloody minor. What the fuck have I ever done for you? Nothing but been better.” The paramedic slammed the door to the ambulance.
Something washed over Kate, it felt a lot like guilt, but what has she to feel guilty about?