Top Dog (Garroth X Reader) [Book Two]

~8~

"You're dirty." I stated, pulling his elbow off of my neck.

"So? So are you." He stated, and pressed his forehead into my neck to wipe his sweat onto me.

"Ew." I placed my hand on top of his head to push him away.

"Get out of our dugout Garroth." Ellie said from beside me.

"Don't be upset Ellie." Garroth said. He removed his hand from me and reached his hand out to pet Ellie on the head like a dog.

"I'm not upset." Ellie stated, sounding very upset. She slapped Garroth's hand away from her.

"You won last year, you had it coming." Garroth stated.

Ellie stared at him for a moment with a look of hatred.

"Aren't you supposed to let Y/N win." Ellie said.

"I let no one win." Garroth said, glaring down at Ellie.

"Dumb. What are boyfriend's even for then." Ellie said. She grabbed her things and walked towards the exit of the dugout.

"Crushing your dreams." Garroth said, even though Ellie was already out of earshot.

"You were successful."

Garroth sat in a moment of silence as I finished putting my things in my bag. I turned around and looked at him, almost surprised he was still there.

"Are you actually mad at me?" He whispered, in the most serious tone he could reach.

"No, stupid." I laughed quietly as I turned away from him and towards the door of the dugout.

"Do you wanna go get ice cream?" He asked from behind me.

"Sure." I answered.

"I'll buy." He said, as if he needed to convince me.

"I said I would go." I laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How was your game last night."

I silently cursed Nickel for, apparently, being the most outgoing person on planet Earth. He felt the need to speak to me every chance he got.

"Um, we lost." I said, as I sat down in my seat next to him.

"Yeah I know." He laughed genuinely at his own words, "Just thought I'd ask anyway. Im sure you played great."

I stared ahead in silence. It didn't feel like I played great. Garroth made me feel inferior in every way. I wondered how one person could get so good at throwing around a ball.

We sat in silence for a long moment where I prayed class would start.

"What position do you play?" Nickel asked.

"Pitcher." I said.

"Mm. I've never really been a baseball- or, softball guy." He said.

"What do you play?" I asked, this is valuable information I can bring back to my friends. I turned to face him for the first time since sitting down.

Sure it was wrong of me to make an assumption, but someone built like Nickel is almost always in some sort of sport.

"Basketball," He answered, "know anybody on the basketball team?"

"Yeah, my friend Dante." I said.

"Is all you do softball?" He asked quickly. He didn't seem to care that I had just answered his question, or that I did in fact know someone on the basketball team.

"Yeah, I only do softball." I answered.

"You look like you could be a cheerleader to me." He stated.

What the heck kind of high school stereotype compliment-

"No I don't." I laughed immediately and looked down instead of at him. I was embarrassed, for whatever reason.

"No? Why not?" He asked, his voice light and filled with laughter.

"That's just- not me." I said, knowing I had never taken a cheer or dance class in my life.

"You could have fooled me. You seem like the cheerleader type." He said.

"How?" I asked, turning only slightly towards him.

"You seem pretty sweet and chill to me." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Those are the characteristics you associate with cheerleaders?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"Those are the ones I like."