Sofia
"This is it ladies. For some of you," Coach K looks at me, "it's your last run. So make it worth something. Make all your effort and hard work this year matter. It's all you have left."
Why do I want to cry?
Softball has been the biggest part of my life. It the one thing that I could go to and not have pain follow me.
It brought me so much glee knowing that Luke would be proud of me for playing.
All of the painful practices, the throwing up- it's gonna be fucking worth it.
It has to be.
"Captains," Coach K gestures for Alyssa and I to talk.
I glance at Alyssa, and she doesn't look like she wants to talk right now.
Her eyes are shiny, a drop falling through her waterline.
I clear my throat, "The last couple years of my life have been rough to say the least."
Alyssa gives me a weak smile.
"But softball has been the one thing that's never let me down. It sounds so stupid to other people when I say that I love softball, or that softball is my escape, but you never know how it feels until you've been playing the sport for 13 years."
I laugh, but it's not filled with humor, just sorrow, "13 years. Now I don't even know if I'll be playing softball next year- but what I do know is that I want this year to fucking matter. I want to leave this school knowing that we were the best. And I want to beat the boys."
Chuckles and laughs lighten the locker room.
"One more time, let's win."
"TIGERS ON 3 THATS 1... 2... 3 TIGERS!!" We yell and run out of the locker room.
The fresh air fills my lungs as we run into the pep rally.
Mo bomba is playing-
How is the principal letting them play that?
"LETS GO." Students chant from around us as we make our way to the the middle where the baseball team is.
When we get closer we all go find our game partners.
"Hey partner," Coal grabs my hand and spins me around to face him.
"Hi." I murmur before kissing him.
His face lights up with a smile, "Look at us now."
I sigh, "Look at us now,"
I repeat it softly.
"What's wrong?" Coal furrows his eyebrows at my face.
I shake my head, "Nothing I'm happy- It's just sad that it's our last game. I mean after next week, we might never all be in the same place again."
"Don't think about that right now okay? We have games to win." Coal smirks.
"Oh yeah? Well if we both win, the deciding factor will be who wins by the most." I give a mischievous smile.
"Yeah, so don't get your hopes up." He retorts back.
"Sorry to burst your bubble but we're going to win!" I chime, stepping backwards from him but he pulls me in closer.
"We'll see about that." He whispers huskily into my ear.
Oh lord.
I squeal and push him away.
"Good luck." I raise my eyebrow at him, and ate me hand out in front of me for him to shake.
"Good luck princess." He shakes my hand, then follows the baseball team to their field.
I spin around and go to the softball field.
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"Starting line ups are the same as always. You guys have to start out good or else it will be hard to catch back up. Athens knows what's up, but it's nothing you guys can't handle." Coach K snaps her clipboard.
"Now get out on the field, and play the goddamn game."
We nod our heads, and I grab my bat and gloves.
I walk out onto the field as the pitcher states me down.
I chuckle to myself. I know her moves, I know how she plays the game.
Yet she knows nothing about me.
I watch closely as the pitcher settles in her stance, left leg forward, right leg back.
She swiftly sets the ball in her glove, but so notice the movement in her feet. She isn't balanced. She could easily off set her pitch.
I move my gaze back to her face, and see squinted eyes.
She's trying to figure me out, but that's not gonna happen.
Every sport has a mental aspect to it, you have to know how to play the game thoroughly.
I know every possible outcome to this game, but it only ends one way.
"Come on Sofia!" People cheer from the crowd.
I snap my eyes shut for a split second.
Coal replays in my head, his smile- my god his smile. I take a deep breath, pretending to hear his soft nothings in my ear, calming me.
Then I open them to the rapid movement of her swinging arm.
I grip the bat tightly, keeping my fingers curled.
The ball is in a perfectly straight line to get a strike.
I swing my bat, knowing that if I don't try to hit it, it's going to be a strike anyway.
I movement is quick and clean, swinging straight outward toward the ball.
Then roars erupt from the stands, and the ball goes flying into far left field.
I drop my bat and sprint to first base, I don't look at the ball.
When my foot touches first base I glance at the ball, which lays in left field, untouched so far.
I take my chance and run to second base. Suddenly the left field man gets the softball mid way to second base.
She throws it to second base, making it a close cut.
The throw is short, so second baseman has to step off the base.
She turns to catch me, but I slide right beside her and into the base.
"Better luck next time." I smile innocently.
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Coal
These guys are too cocky for their own good.
I can hear their constant "roasts" from our dugout. They sound like idiots.
Their the ones loosing right now.
It's the almost the 9th inning and their up to bat next.
The score is 7-5 us.
I haven't payed much attention to the girls game because I know we're going to finish before them. I just hope Sofia isn't pretending to be better just so she can play.
If she gets hurt again on my watch,
I'm murdering someone.
"Get in there and don't let them get any runs!!" Coach Stern yells at us as we run out onto the field for the 9th inning.
Coach has me at second base right now.
Noah's been doing good tonight pitching, so I can only pray the fucker doesn't screw it up.
**
There's two outs, and they've gotten one run. We have to get one more out and we fucking win.
It's been too long since we've beat Athens. It's time we show them who the fuck we are.
I can see the nervous expression written all over Noah's face.
He glances back at me, and I give him a reassuring nod.
It's all or nothing.
He takes a deep breath before repositioning on the mound.
I shut my eyes, and only one thing comes to mind.
Sofia.
Everything about her- my god even her name.
I love her more than I could ever express.
My eyes shoot open when I hear chants come from Athens bleachers.
Then my eyes land on the ball that sets many feet in the air, but looks like it's going to land 15 feet to the left of me.
The ball comes down quick, but I start to run to it.
The ball gets lower and lower, as I get closer and closer. Then I realize I won't make it by running, so I jump.
I extend my arm as far as it can go, and I land on the dirt.
I open my glove quickly, to see the bright white ball laying in it.
Everybody jumps up and cheers from the crowd.
Well, not Athens.
I stand up but then get trampled but the boys jumping on me.
I laugh as we all cheer for our final victory together.
It feels good.
When I look out onto the field, I see Luke's memorial picture hanging up on the back fence.
Dread consumes the excitement, and once again, he haunts me.
God I wish he was here, I wish he could be with us right now.
But I have to remind myself, would Sofia and I ever be this.
I stare at his picture of the fence.
Would Sofia be okay if my attempt worked that night?
The team heads into the dugout but I'm too focused on the picture that I don't follow.
Something catches my eye, and I look to the right side of the back fence.
The hair looks familiar, too familiar.
"Luke?" I croak out, so quietly no one would be able to hear me.
But as soon as the figure notices me looking, he disappears into the dark forests behind the fields.
Am I imagining things-
Then too hands are planted on my shoulders.
"I miss him too man. I miss him too..." Noah frowns, but cocks his head toward the dugout.
I shake my head of the thoughts and walk back to the dugout with him.
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GUYS I SWEAR IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER-
this is short but enjoy the happiness while you can....