Home Runs and Heart Beats

Chapter Nine

"I don't think he's fawning over me." Ella said, almost defensively. "I think he wants to be friends."

Katie let out a snort. "Friends? I don't think so."

Ella rolled her eyes. Are we almost there yet," she said said, desperately trying to change the subject. "I feel like we've been walking for ages."

"We're pretty much here," Katie said, pointing to a house with loud music blaring and a gathering of people standing by the door. "We just have to get past that line of people."

"Oh my god, that's going to take hours."

"No it won't," Katie said, "I know a few people who are already inside."

Ella watched as Katie weaved through the long line and approach the guy standing by the door. Ella recognized him as one of the guys who was standing in the courtyard that one day she was walking back from class to get lunch with Katie. He was tall and had a rather tan complexion. He had a mass of curly black hair that was tucked under a baseball cap. From where she was standing, he appeared to be smiling at something Katie said.

She watched as roommate jerked a thumb toward her and he turned to stare. A curious expression crossed his face as he locked eyes with Ella. A moment passed, and then he smiled and waved her over.

Ella navigated the remaining distance to the house, making her way through the group of people. She couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious, especially with so many unfamiliar faces around. Most of them looked like they were part of some athletic team, while few plus-ones just looked like regular Northview college students. As she reached the tall guy by the door, he greeted her warmly, grasping her hand tightly.

"Nice to meet you, Ella," He said, "I'm Alex, I've heard alot about you."

Ella shook his hand and offered him a tentative smile. "From who?"

Katie scoffed. "Who do you think, Tucker?"

Alex laughed and dropped her hand. "Go ahead and head in, there's some drinks in the kitchen and Marcurio is by the mini-bar making more. Katie, if you're looking for Rae, last time I saw her she was in the living room with a few of some others from the tennis team."

Katie nodded and grabbed Ella's wrist pulling her into the house.

As they entered the house, the lively sounds of music and chatter filled the air.The living room had transformed into a raucous sanctuary of celebration, bathed in the warm, dimmed glow of stringed fairy lights and a cluster of neon signs. Baseball memorabilia adorned the walls, proudly displaying signed jerseys, framed photos of victorious games, and a few glass-encased baseballs.

In one corner, a group of people huddled around a coffee table that had been repurposed as a makeshift bar. Bottles of various liquors and mixers were lined up, and a guy, who Ella assumed was named Marcurio was busy concocting cocktails of all sorts, spilling a few of it's contents here and there. Laughter and cheers erupted from the group surrounding him.

The music, a relentless mix of classic rock anthems, hip-hop bangers, and pop 100 hits vibrated through powerful speakers that seemed almost too eager to blast the music even louder. Clusters of partygoers carved out their own domains, each one a rowdy microcosm of laughter, conversations, and loud banter.

Ella was almost impressed. She thought it would be more like the frat parties, she was used to at home, with their unorganized chaos and overflowing red plastic cups, but this was different.

Katie led her to a small corner of the living room where a few girls were crowded around a couple of bean bags and holding bottles of what looked like hard lemonades in their hands.

"Hey," Katie said, smilingat one of the girls who was seated. "This is my roommate Ella."

Ella waved at them.

"Ella, these are a few of my teammates. This is Mya," she gestured to one of the girls standing behind the beanbags. "And this is Hailey and Rae," she said said nodding at the two girls sitting nestled in the beanbags.

"Hi Ella," a bleach-blonde girl, Rae, said smiling up her. "Katie has told me alot about you."

Ella let out an awkward laugh. "All good things I hope."

"She said you were scared to go to the dining hall."

"Oh," she glared at Katie, who was conveniently engrossed in a conversation with Mya. "Not sure whys she would say that."

"I'm sorry," Rae said apologetically. "My girlfriend can be a little crass."

Ella blinked in surprise. She didn't know Katie was dating anybody, much less another one of her teammates. It made sense though, Katie was never home so she was probably staying at her girlfriends.

"Hey," Katie interjected. "You think i'm bad? You should hear Ella when it's just the two of us."

Rae rolled her eyes. "You probably deserve it, Kate."

Katie scoffed, but let a small, soft smile slip. It was almost awkward seeing her like this after only knowing her roommate to be loud and blunt. She looked away.

"Are you ladies enjoying the party?" A familiar voice said from behind her.

Ella's eyes widened.

"Holmes," Katie greeted flatly. "The man of the hour. Heard you threw the winning pitch?"

Connor stepped beside her, his cologne wafting past her. It was a faint, pleasant aroma. An earthy fragrance that was not too overpowering but enough to notice and appreciate He was dressed casually in a Northview Baseball team T-shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strong, tanned forearms. His warm smile and confident demeanor added to his undeniable charm.

"Something like that," Connor replied with a grin, casting a quick glance at Ella. "Nice to see you here, Ella. Did you have a hard time getting here?"

Ella shook her head, feeling a bit flustered by his presence. "No, Katie and I walked together"

Connor's gaze lingered on Ella for a moment, and then he said, "That's great to hear. I'm glad you could make it. You know, this party wouldn't be complete without you."

Ella froze, staring at the man in front of her.

"What in the—Holmes stop trying to rizz up my roommate," Katie said, shooting the man a look of digust. The other girls eyed Ella with an amused look, clearly intrigued by her reaction.

Connor raised his hands defensively. "I'm just trying to make sure everything's good."

Katie sighed and shook her head, shooting Ella a pointed look. "Everything will be good if you and Ella get us some drinks from Marcurio."

Ella blinked a few times glancing over at Connor who shook his head in amusement. "Fine, I'll grab y'all some of the good stuff. Ella, do you want to come with me?"

Ella felt Katie staring holes into the side of her head. "Sure," she started. "I guess."

Connor grabbed her hand, leading her toward the kitchen.

She glanced back at the group of girls, Rae sent a her a wink before turning back toward Katie.

Connor glanced behind him, sending her a small smile. Ella felt her heart race ten-fold.