Out of My League

{16} Reunion

I heard a collective groan from the bleachers to my right, and a couple laughs from the ones to my left. I felt my heart drop as I heard the soft thud of the ball landing into the baseman's outstretched mitt. I was a complete failure.

...

Following the 5-2 victory, I couldn't dispel the persistent shame growing inside of me. If I hadn't been able to play before, I definitely wasn't ever going to play again. Walking back to the dugout, I met the sympathetic gaze from Sammy. As much as she'd always supported me, she knew I had it coming for me the second I stepped onto the bus intoxicated. What the hell was I thinking?

After our brief team meeting to go over the day's victory, I heard the familiar low voice of my coach call out my name. This was it, I was off the team forever. "Charlotte?" she said as I jogged towards her, and impending sense of doom filling me. But her voice was far too kind, and her expression was far too pleasant.

"I'm so sor-"

She put her hand up, stopping my rushed apology. "Just listen, Black. I know you were either drunk or high today. I can spot these things from a mile away," she looked at me imploringly. "So why did you go out there when I called you up?"

"I just didn't want to disappoint you," I answered truthfully. "I thought this would be my only chance to prove myself."

"Oh you'll get a lot more chances, Black," she said. "But if you know that you're going to screw up, don't ever jeopardize your team just to make a point."

"I'm sorry," I said. "It won't happen again." I tried to conceal the surprise in my voice. I was still on the team, despite everything?

"Listen, Charlotte," she said, uncharacteristically using my first name. "When I recruited you I instantly realized you'd just recently lost your mother. I also noticed the tension between you and your father, as if he'd just become a part of your life. He left for a while, didn't he?"

My mouth was ajar in shock. How dare she bring this all up now! "It's none of your business!" I shot back, instantly regretting shouting at my coach.

Surprisingly, my coach pretended not to notice my disrespectful actions. "Look, I know what it's like to grow up as the backbone of your family. I had to do it myself for over ten years. But Charlotte, this does not give you permission to self-implode. We need you, and you can't abandon your teammates like this. So here's the deal, I'm going to give you a couple of weeks off from softball."

I opened my mouth in protest. "But-" 

"Don't 'but' me," she continued. "Use the time wisely to get back on your feet and regain your composure. Only then can you come back."

As she turned around to leave, I desperately tried to tell her what this would do to me. To tell her that softball was the only thing in my life right now that kept me sane. I couldn't go on without it, I would totally lose myself in the process. But by the time I opened my mouth, she was out of sight.

...

Lemon's POV

Laying in my bed, a loud knock disturbed my peaceful slumber. What the hell? It was like 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I groggily reached the door, the coldness of the door knob waking me up a little more.

Opening it up slowly, two excited hazel eyes peered at me. Skylar's dark brown hair was in a messy bun, and she was wearing sweatpants and a blue sweatshirt. "Hey Lemon!"

"Shhhhh," I whispered back. "I have a roommate."

"Oh sorry," Skylar apologized, putting her hand on her mouth as if to stifle her naturally loud voice. 

"It's too early, babe," I complained, rubbing my eyes sleepily.

"I know!" she answered apologetically. "But I want to go on a run. And a single female running around in New York in the early morning is not the safest choice."

"So you want me to get kidnapped with you?" I shot back, irritated.

"Exactly," she answered, ignoring my clear frustration. She then looked into my eyes seriously. "I just feel like things have been a little weird between us lately. Don't you?"

"No," I lied.

"Well anyways, I hope you don't have anything big happening, because I've planned an entire day together with you."

"Why?" I mumbled, still drowsy from before.

"To get back in sync!" she exclaimed, enthusiastically awaiting my reaction.

"Sync later, sleep now," I grumbled, walking to my bed and promptly falling back asleep.

...

Despite my previous hesitation, my day with Skylar was amazing. After our torturous run (it was much more torturing for me than Skylar) we'd stopped by a cafe and shared a bagel together. Then we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As students at NYU, we got a year-long pass to the exhibits that seemed almost too good to be true.

After that, we took a walk in Washington Square Park, finally ending our perfect day together at an extremely fancy restaurant in the city. As I sat across from the gorgeous girl in front of me, I found myself getting lost in those inquisitive hazel eyes. The great thing about dating a famous writer was that I got first dibs on reading all her books before they were published and released to the world.

"You're really pretty," I said, sighing in admiration. She was wearing a red dress that accentuated her perfect figure and complimented her olive skin.

"You too," Skylar smirked. "So how was your day with the most amazing girlfriend in the world?"

"Amazing," I answered honestly. "And about what you said before, I feel like we've been a little bit out of sync lately. Maybe it's the fact that finals are approaching or just that we barely have time to hang out anymore," I said thoughtfully. "But it's nothing we can't fix."

Skylar smiled at me above her gray menu. "I agree."

"I'm going to go freshen up," I said, getting up to go to the restroom.

"Will I ever see you again?" Skylar joked.

"I guess not!" I retorted back, we both chuckled softly. A couple from the table beside ours smiled at us warmly.

As I made my way to their luxurious bathrooms, I saw a figure sitting alone at the bar. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back, one strand falling in front of her pale face. New York was full of beautiful people, but this stranger was absolutely stunning. As I walked closer, I almost stopped dead in my tracks. No, I thought to myself. It can't be. The woman held onto a glass of wine in front of her, downing it at a rapid rate. 

I walked around in an attempt to get a clear view of her face. I instantly recognized those eyes, those piercing green eyes that had captivated me for years. Once alive and penetrating, her gaze was now hazy and glassy as she stared at her now empty glass. I was immediately drawn to the dark bags under those eyes, like black blemishes on a smooth stone. There was a deep gash on her chin and her face was unnaturally pale. But I knew it was her.

"Charlotte?" I said, my voice breaking at the end of her name.

She turned to me, her cloudy gaze falling on me. Her haunted face broke into a sad smile. "Hey Lemon," she slurred.