𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 ✰ 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 ✔

| nine |

"Well then, your life's a joke." I sit on a swivel chair on the other side of the room.

"Say, your roommate really is a creep." Chris laughed, pointing at the blow-up girl.

"Drop the shit, Archer. Why are you here? For real?"

"I want to get to know you." He shrugged. "Simple as that."

"Get to know me somewhere else." I grasp my phone. "If you don't leave in 2 minutes, I'm calling 911. Trust me on this. Now leave."

"Dustin, after today, what if I never see you again?" Chris stood up, and his forlorn look was sinking deep in.

"Then good riddance." I break the connection. "You need to leave. You have a game in about 4 hours."

"Yeah," Chris tapped his smart watch, "you're right. But Dustin, fair warning here, you're gonna be mine real soon."

"Go fuck yourself." I shoved Chris in the direction of the door.

"Says the girl who'll be fucking me real soon."

"Don't talk to me."

---
Tropicana Field
2:27 P.M.

"So today's your last day as our fill-in, huh?" Mallex Smith asked me as Chris pitched to Ian.

"Yeah." I nodded.

Ian then hit off Chris, and was zooming away.

"What the hell?" Mallex pointed to the scoreboard. "Arch has only had two strikeouts, and it's the seventh inning."

"Shouldn't he be out by now?" I look over to Mallex.

"He should...I have no clue what the skipper is thinking. But I can't help but think that he's distracted."

"Yeah, he is." Matt Duffy had walked over with his arms crossed. "Because of Miss Rejection here. Told me all about it at practice."

Mallex looked towards me.

"He searched for where I lived, and practically broke in! I've only known this guy three days and he thinks he can get in my pants! I swear to fucking God-"

"HOLD ON." Matt held up a finger. "I get it now. You're still a virgin."

"Nope, I'm not." I shook my head. "I lost my virginity in college."

"To who?" Matt teased.

"A medical colleague of mine. His name was Rafe. He was really smart and nice. But then, during a frat party, something got screwed up with him, then-"

I stopped talking as I saw what the the scoreboard read.

Since it was seventh inning stretch, people should be singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", but everyone stayed dead silent.

On the scoreboard read:

Dustin, take me out to dinner tonight?

I get up, and walked over to the pitcher, who had a stupid smile on his face.

And I did something that I've never done before.

I slapped him.

Jaws dropped, people gasped, and I'm pretty sure popcorn was thrown at me.

"The answer is no." I turn back, and walked the opposite way towards the Tigers bench...again.

"Dustin, what was that?" Andrew shot up and grasped me by the shoulders. "He just went all out and you said no?"

"Yes, Andrew. I'm not ready for that yet."

"Usually, I agree with you," Andrew sighed, "but Dustin, you really fucked up big-time."

"I told you what happened, Drew! He came into the house I was staying in without any permission, and I felt violated."

"Guys will do anything to chase someone they want to pursue." Andrew said. "I did it too."

"You've broken into a house?"

"No, I've climbed up a two-story house to impress a girl after I tossed rocks on her window. Unfortunately, I fell. She got a huge kick out of that."

"Funny." I clap. "Ha-ha."

"Dustin, will you do something for me, as I'm leaving?"

"Andrew-"

"Apologize."

"I'm not a child." I snap. "You cannot tell me what I can and can't do. I'm 22 years old and can do whatever I want in life. And right now, I'd like to stay to myself."

My arm began to feel a strong pressure, and see a hand grasping it. Then I was spun around into the sweaty, angry body of Chris Archer.

"You just fucking embarrassed me in front of a whole audience. You know, Dustin, kids look up to me. So I hope you enjoyed your little Jerry Springer stunt, because I didn't. I hope you never walk into this stadium again."

And like that, he was gone.

"Dustin, you're-"

"SHUT UP, ANDREW. PLEASE."

I tarnished reputations that day: not just Chris', but my own.

a.n.

last chapter for a while, as finals are in full swing for me this coming week :')