Playing With The Bad Boy

did I hurt your pride?

Chapter 1. Did I hurt your pride?

"Day two of tryouts boys....." Coach trails off, his gaze soon met by mine, "and girl" he simultaneously adds referring to me earning a few deep chuckles from the guys around me.

"Hit the field it's batting time but I need a few guys to play bases and outfield" Coach eagerly announces and I stand up grabbing my mitt. I stretch my arms as I approach the pitcher's stump on the field letting out a yawn. Way too early be at the school on a Sunday if you ask me. The Sky is a pale blue, the sun creeping on the horizon adding yellows and pinks to it as the day begins. I've always deeply admired sunrises, but since I'm not a morning person I hardly see them.

"You can day dream about me later Garcia" I'm snapped out of gaze as a mocking Ben teases from home plate along with a few laughs coming from around the field. I roll my eyes letting out a sigh, "in your dreams Green".

I roll my shoulders back taking a baseball from the bucket next to me throwing it in my glove a few times to get a slight feel. I get in my usual stance slightly at an angle. I position the mitt inwards as I lift up my right leg soon charging forward on it as I lean forward throwing the ball with as much force as my left arm will allow. I watch the ball, a blur of white as Ben Green swings the bat clearly using a lot of effort because his facial expression looks as if he's constipated. The ball slides right by though landing in the mitt of the catcher and I let out a sigh of relief grinning in satisfaction as Ben throws a hissy fit.

Ben is known to be a hothead, but oh boy did I enjoy his face when he got striked out by me, a girl.

'C'mon Green she's a girl!' And 'don't let a girl strike you out' with a bunch of other sexist comments leave the mouths of the boys I call a team. Traitors.

All my life, people assume since I'm a girl I could never be a pitcher, well, I pitch varsity boy's baseball at my high school, so I think it's safe to say I proved them wrong.

Incase you're wondering why I play for a boy's team, well, I used to play girl's softball in seventh grade. Not to be cocky, but my fast pitch was breaking records at both the middle school and high school, well, I was eventually noticed by the high school baseball coach who made me transfer to baseball not really giving me a choice. I can't complain though, I love the game and I consider some of these boys close friends.

"Next!" Coach hollers as Ben throws his arms in defense as if to protest, "Green sit down! I've got one girl on the team not two! Throw a tantrum later, who's next?" Coach yells in his deep gurgly voice, ah, how I love my sympathetic coach.

I take another ball throwing it in my mitt a few times rolling my shoulders, a usual pre-pitch ritual. I feel the top of my hat to rid of any sweat that's formed on my clammy hands. It's quite cold out, frankly, bitter morning air but with all the laps I ran before to train this morning I'm still sweating.

I hear tons of whispering and I eavesdrop on a conversation behind me.

who's that?'

'Dude you don't know Axel Wesley?'

'I can't believe that dick is here'

I glance over to see who's batting and I can't say I know who it is. It's a boy who looks like a senior, he's walking over to the plate, a smirk evident on his face from even a helmet on his head. He looks tall from what I can see and confidence in the way he stands and swings the bat around as he approaches the base. He seems as if he's enjoying getting a negative reaction from all the boys on base.

I observe how all of the guys in the dug out are all gripping the fence in anticipation as he finally makes it to plate.

He gets into his batting position slightly squatting. He's well built I must add, he looks very fit and muscular from what I can see and from what all the guys are saying, he's clearly new. I roll my shoulders again in attempt to rid the thoughts of him, just another guy you are pitching for, don't let him phase you.

What? I'm human, he's a slight distraction.

I get into my usual stance which felt suddenly foreign. His gaze is now on mine a smirk painted on his face, I rapidly blink in attempt to regain focus. I pitch for guys all the time, but never who appear as a Greek sex god. It almost looks as if his grin widens like he knows he's getting to me.

Snap out of it.

I bring my right leg up soon landing on it as I swing my left arm leaning with the throw. Surprisingly the throw felt like it would go amazing, like I threw the absolute perfect pitch. But Mr.Perfect over here swings the bat and with a might solid hit noise, my gaze soon turns up at the ball sky rocketing through the air high above me. How the hell?

I watch the ball in amazement as it flies out of the park. I hear some curse words leave the mouths of the basemen as the beautiful stranger, who I'm assuming is Axel, waltz through the bases effortlessly with a wicked grin on his face.

"GARCIA! Switch with Anderson!" Coach hollers from the sidelines. What? I mess up one time how dare he. I let out a groan of frustration heading to the dug outs. Not to toot my own horn, but nobody has hit a home run on a pitch I've dealt since freshman year when we were at championships, never since then, so I think it's save to say I'm highly disappointed in my self. Coach clearly is.

I run into the dug outs ignoring all of the comments from my team mates and teasing because he scored a homer, on me, without even getting a strike or foul first. I open my bag taking a swig of some replenishing Gatorade frowning as the coaches' whistle goes off calling us all out there.

All of the boys start peeling out as I stuff my Gatorade into the my bag zipping it closed. I spin my heels to exit but I stop when the man himself is standing directly in front of me.

"So you're the pitcher they have all been talking about, Garcia?" He asks with a smirk playing at his lips, a hint of confusion is in his voice like he wasn't expecting me to be a girl, and must I add, he's way better looking up close.

"Hell of a right swing" I mutter coming off way harsher than I intended to, he tainted my pride, I'm more than pissed. I expect him to have left by now but he's still standing a few feet in front of me just watching me as if he's studying me.

I flash a fake awkward smile before brushing past him but I'm stopped in my tracks, a harsh grip on my forearm. I spin around meeting Axel's intense gaze which has a hint of amusement in it. I glare down at his death lock grip on my forearm and he loosens it letting go. I'm slightly alarmed when he places his thumb and forefinger on chin raising my chin up to meet his gaze one again.

"Aw, did I hurt your pride princess?" He asks sarcastically with a fake pout, I snort unattractively at this, is he serious?

I shake my head getting his grasp on my chin off shooting him a death glare into his mesmerizing dark brown eyes. Why does he have to be so good looking?

I take a step back spinning on my heels once again but soon stopped again in my tracks with another light grasp on my forearm. I spin around much faster now, "What the fudge do you want?" I growl in a low tone getting straight to the point. If I take any longer coach will make me run laps, oh so fun.

"I never caught that name babe" he states biting his lip ever so slightly, I've only known the guy how long and it's clear he's a player, "I never threw it" I flash a fake cheeky grin before jerking my arm back exiting the dugout.

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New & first book (: hope you enjoy

Qotd : "She was poetry in a world that was still learning the alphabet"