Stadium School Roddy took a look at his bruised ankle. It was the night before the trial and, although the swelling had gone down, it was still painful to the touch. He’d kept off it as much as possible, even though he’d been itching to practise. “It’ll be OK unless I get another knock on it,” he told himself, but he wondered how easy it would be to play carefully on such an important day. It was surprising how much Roddy had to pack for just one night. What with his boots, swimming shorts, wash bag and a change of clothes, he could hardly zip up his rucksack. He went to bed in good time, as they were going to have a very early start, but no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get to sleep. He kept looking at the hunched shape of his rucksack and wondering what the next day would bring. Eventually, he managed to drift off, but when his alarm sounded, it felt like he’d only been asleep for a few minutes. After a quick breakfast, Roddy went out to the car and slung his bag in the boot.
