I wake up to the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing. I check my phone that I neglected to put on the charger last night and saw that it's almost 9 o'clock. After hearing the bathroom door again I looked over to see that Brooke changed back into the clothes she was wearing earlier this morning.
"Thanks again, for everything." She said.
Still tired, I just nodded. I get out of the sleeping bag and do a stretch.
"Going home?" I asked.
"Yeah, I think I should."
"Is this what they call a one night stand?"
Brooke just lets out a little laugh. She's probably still embarrassed about the whole situation. Without thinking too much about it Brooke and I walk out of my door. I look down the hallway and I see a face, a face i didn't want to see, Jorge's face.
"Um….Wha?" Is all Jorge can muster out. He has a laundry bag with him. Brooke puts her head down and makes a dash for the front door. That just made everything look so much more suspicious. Deciding that it would be better to just let her go I pull out my phone and shoot her a text. "I'll explain everything to Jorge, get home safe." I turn to Jorge who is still wide eyed at what he just witnessed.
"You… and Brooke… THE COACHES DAUGHTER!"
"Shut up. Nothing happened. Come to my dorm after you load your laundry and i'll explain everything, oh and don't tell anyone."
Back in my room I explain everything to Jorge starting with the text.
"I still don't know how she got my number though." I said, mostly to myself.
"I'm surprised she called you and not Dave." Jorge said.
"Dave? Why would she call Dave?"
"Well They didn't date, but I think they're close. They grew up on the same street. Last year I would always see them walking around together."
That irritated me.
Later that day, I decided to go to a sports store in the town. It was a small mom and pop shop called ��Lamb's Sports." The spring seeding tournament is in two weeks so i thought i should get a new pair of cleats.
"Chase!" Hearing someone call me that name, that loud, there's only one person it could be. I turn around to see Coach, Brooke, and Dave. I put on my best smile and greet them.
"What's up guys?" Brooke looks like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Dave snubs me but I expected that. Coach is all smiles though.
"We're just about to use the batting cage in the back, you should join us!" Coach said… Loudly. I was surprised there was even a batting cage here. I accepted the invitation. Brooke hasn't said a word and Dave is clearly not enjoying my presence. The awkwardness is kind of fun. We reach the back room where a sign says employees only. Once we walk through the door I see a makeshift batting cage set up. PCP pipes and fish netting pretty much make up the whole thing. There were two pitching machines and two lanes. The pitching machines are automatic so you just dump some balls in the hopper and you're ready to go.
"I'll let the two players go first. One at a time though." Coach told us. I guess he wants to coach us even now. I go first. The pitching machine holds around 20 baseballs. I didn't miss any but I fouled off 5 pitches. My leg kick on my swing was a little high. I take a few swings to correct myself and I leave the cage. Dave's up now. From what I could see in practice, Dave was fast, and an above average fielder. His hitting needs some work, and he could be better at reading pop flys. Dave misses the first two balls then barley fouls off the third.
"You're pulling your head." I tell him. He just looks at me with a face that says 'I don't need your help.' He was starting to make better contact with the ball but he wasn't seeing what he was hitting. I look over at the coach and I see him shoot Dave a scowl.
"Dave, come to the other lane with me." Dave and Coach proceed to the other lane. Looks like Coach is going to give him some one on one. I look over to Brooke who is sitting on a bench facing the batting cages. I walk over and sit next to her.
"So you and Dave huh?" I'm basically just trying to start trouble with that statement, but I wanted to know their relationship and I wanted to hear it from Brooke.
"I don't know." She responded somberly. After hearing that, I got this knot feeling in my stomach. It made me feel shitty enough that I didn't want to stick around. I stand up and look down at her.
"You probably should have called him last night."
"No, CB, It wasn't like that. I-" I cut her off by yelling towards Dave and the Coach. I didn't want to hear any explanation.
"I'm heading out guys!" I wave and shoot them my best smile.
Coach gives me a wave back. I leave the sports store without ever getting the cleats. As soon as my face hit the cool spring air outside I had this feeling. I need to swing! As I walk back towards the school I keep replaying what she said. "I don't know." I was never the type to chase a girl, let alone one that was thinking about someone else. Being 16, it's not like i didn't have experience with girls. I've never been in a serious relationship but I wasn't totally ignorant to the matter. "I don't know." I can't believe those three words could suck so much.
With the sun starting to set, I get back to the school dorm and I grab my bat. After making my way back to the field, I stand in the right handed batters box and I swing. I just swing, over, and over again.
Drenched in sweat, with the sun completely gone, and my only light source being the giant lights covering the field. I'm now sitting on home plate staring off into the endless outfield and once again thinking about my problems. It wasn't like I had some deep bond with Brooke that just got shattered. It wasn't anything nearly that harsh. I just liked her company. What I had could probably be called a crush. Girls are confusing. Why sleep in my room and not Dave's? Was it because she knew I wouldn't try anything? I just feel… played.
I hear footsteps coming onto the field. I already know who it is. I turn my head to see Brooke. I wished that it was anyone else walking towards me. Brooke is diligent, so it's only natural that she would want to clear the air as soon as she could.
"I had a feeling you'd be here." She said, warmly before sitting down in the dirt next to me.
"You know me so well." I say bluntly while rolling my eyes.
"About Dave." She started, I guess it's time for two 16 year olds to talk like adults.
"I do like him, and I know he likes me back."
"All right, so what's the problem?" I couldn't talk more coldly even if I wanted to.
"Well, I think… I think i like you too." I let out a laugh.
"That's not how shit works Brooke. I'm not the please pick me type. I'm not going to sit around while you stack me up against Dave." My emotions are getting away from me.
"That's not what i'm trying to do. Honestly, when I first met you I thought you would be interesting. I got to talk to you more… and It surprised me. It surprised me how easy it is to talk to you. It surprised me how kind you are. Not just with me, but with Rose. What you do for her is awesome. I started to truly understand that you are an amazing person." She took a second to wipe the tears that are streaming down her cheeks. "I can't throw away my feelings that i have with Dave, but i want you to know that the feelings i have with you are genuine. They're real."
"Then what? I know they're real so what now? Do you want me to wait around while you try to figure yourself out? Sorry Brooke, that's just not how i operate. Sorry but this is it." I stand up and brush myself off. I want to get to my room, and sleep today into tomorrow. I start to walk away when she calls out to me.
"Chase w-" She called out.
"DO NOT CALL ME THAT! I hate that fucking name, and i hate hearing you say it even more." I snapped.
I walk through the gate and see Dave leaning against the dugout. We lock eyes for a second before he speaks up.
"Sorry." It was a genuine apology. I'm not sure what for, but I'm sure he thought it was the right thing to say.