Mara 29 Posted April 5, 2006 Just wrote this... so it's fresh.... yay... Homerun I vividly remember the moment when I realized that Maria wasn?t a boy. I know that may sound stupid, but for years she was like one of the guys, you know? Before everything changed, her and I and Steve and Jared had always hung out together since elementary school. The four of us did everything together. Jumped in the snow together, ate lunch in the cafeteria together. We still see each other on a rare occasion along with Jared?s girlfriend, Michelle, but we?re in high school now and things are different. The thing I remember most about back then was playing baseball in the backfield of our school after class. We would rush outside after our last period classes with our balls, bats and gloves, along with some of the other boys in our class. I loved it whenever Maria ended up on my team because she was damn good ballplayer. Even at eleven she could hit Martin?s curve ball. She was the spirit of our team. We would play on and on for hours until we needed to be home for dinner. This went on for years until one day something changed. I think we were in eighth grade. It had been like any other afternoon after school at the old diamond. Martin and Steve picked out the teams and we started up the game. I remember it well because it was one of the few times Maria hadn?t been on my team. It was my turn at bat and halfway through my swing, something horrible happened: a sudden gust of wind blew up and caught Maria?s hat off guard, causing it to fall off. Her golden blonde hair whipped in the wind causing her shirt to curve around her own blossoming curves as she ran to retrieve her cap. This all happened in the few seconds it took the ball to get across the plate, but it seemed like a feature length movie to me because of the beauty of it all. Suffice to say, I missed the ball. And the next. I had struck out for the first time in months. The guys chided me for being so clumsy not knowing it was all due to my sudden discovery of Maria?s graceful and wonderful body. I suppose I had been too young to notice her before, really notice, but as a fourteen-year-old the hormones start kicking in. The game went on and life went on along with it. The four of us went on to the local high school and we still hung out once in a while, though most of us had found new friends. Maria blossomed into a beautiful girl and attached herself to more of the same at school. Me, I still talked to Jared and Steve some but not a lot. Jared wanted to go to med. school after graduation so he was busy with his studies. Steve had met Michelle and they started dating casually. Meanwhile, I somehow got lost in the field. Yeah, sometimes she?d smile at me if she saw me in the hall on the way to class, but that was all I?d usually get. Those smiles never seemed completely sincere to me. I still haven?t figured out why. Things went on much the same way for the next couple years. But during spring of our junior year Jared had caught up with me at lunch one day. He sat across from me. ?Hey, did you hear?? The words came out breathlessly. ?Uh, about what?? I had been completely confused. I thought maybe he was skipping a couple grades and going to college. What did I know? ?That old lot next to our old elementary school? With the baseball diamond? I guess it?s going to be torn up next month. Going to build a Walgreen?s or something.? ?Really.? I shoved in another bite of hamburger. ?Seriously, Luke. My dad?s on the county commission.? I shrugged. ?Well, we?re too young for that stuff. It?s in the past.? ?Don?t give me that crap. You can?t tell me that you don?t think we ought to do something about it? That field contains like, our entire childhood. I told Steve and Maria about it and I contacted our other friends. We?re going to meet over there after school today around four.? ?Jared, please. It?s just an old field. I?m busy any way.? I wasn?t, but I didn?t feel like dealing with him any longer at the time. ?Fine.? He got up and left the cafeteria. I shook my head and finished my lunch. Looking back on the conversation, I realized I had been acting like a real asshole. I loved playing on that field when I was younger. I suppose I had just waved it off because it felt like that part of my life was over. All the guys I had played ball with had moved on. Different schools, different lives, different priorities. Who was to say that I couldn?t move on too? I sighed and put my empty tray away. The rest of the day I didn?t really pay attention in my classes; my mind swirled with memories brought up by Jared?s announcement. My first homerun, my first fly ball, my first slide, my first strike out. My first time seeing Maria in a new light. I resolved then and there that I had to do something with my life. I couldn?t continue to just slide through with a blas? attitude towards life. The first thing I needed to do was apologize to Jared. Then I could go meet up with the rest of the old baseball gang and dig up some more memories with them. Maybe we could play one last game. I could connect with Maria. For the first time in a long while, I found myself looking forward to something. I felt exhilarated. I unlocked my old Cavalier and left the school parking lot with my music blaring. I hadn?t seen Jared?s car in the lot and figured on just meeting him at the field to talk to him. My life seemed to be out of its slump. School wasn?t going so great, I didn?t really do homework or anything for that matter, but now I was getting back together with my old friends. It would be good to see all the guys again, including Steve and Maria. Maria. My mind stopped. I remembered that fateful day back in eighth grade again. I remembered her rare smiles in the school hallway. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel and sweat started to trickle down my neck. That old nervousness had come up again. Somehow I made it to the field. I sat in my car an extra few seconds to compose myself before heading out to join everyone. I got out and was slowly walking towards the small group of people when I heard a car drive up beside me. ?Hey, Luke! Glad to see you here.? Maria?s sweet voice sent a chill down my back. ?Oh, hey, Maria.? She smiled at me. ?Jared said you wouldn?t be able to make it.? ?Yeah, well, someone cancelled on me.? I smiled back, disguising my feelings with casualness. ?Great. Let?s go join the rest of the guys.? She grabbed my hand like she used to do when we rushed on this same field years ago and ran me over to the others. A couple times her hair brushed against my face. I almost collapsed. We stopped to greet the group. I caught up with all the other guys who had ended up at different high schools and chatted while Maria headed over to Jared and Steve. A few moments later, I felt a tap on my back and turned around. It was Jared. ?Sorry about earlier, I?? I sputtered. He waved it off. ?Don?t worry about it. You?re here.? ?Yeah, I am. So what?s the plan?? ?Maybe we could play a game? For old times? sake?? Maria broke into the conversation. Did she read my mind? ?Sounds good,? agreed Steve. The rest of us also nodded assent. We broke off into two teams. Maria ended up on mine. I cartwheeled inwardly. I would get to talk to her a bit more. We didn?t keep score; it was all for fun. I connected with the ball my first couple times at ball. I had found my stride again. I wondered why I hadn?t concentrated more on my baseball skill. Then it was Maria?s turn at bat. She hit a long drive, but I had been watching her so intently that I forgot to run home. The guys got after me again for losing my head. I shrugged it off and blamed the sunlight to hiding the ball. They rolled their eyes at me and moved onto the field to start another inning. The next few innings ran smoothly after that. Maria blended into the scenery and became one of the guys like before. I felt at home once again. But then Maria had to go so we had to break off our game. The teams wouldn?t be even. I ran up to her. ?Leaving so soon? We don?t have parents calling us in for dinner any more.? I grinned at her like an idiot. She smiled. ?No, we don?t, but I do have to go. I have a date tonight.? ?Oh. Really? That?s nice.? I tried to sound happy for her and not like a piano had been dropped on me, but I think I failed. ?Yeah. He seems nice. One of Michelle?s friends? brothers.? I merely nodded so I wouldn?t act like more of a jackass in front of her. ?See you at school on Monday, Luke.? She waved and then headed for her car. I waved back and walked back to the group. Jared was looking at me funny. ?Like I said, the sun was in my eyes and I?? I started. He raised his eyebrows. ?Dude, you just got shot down.? The other guys laughed. ?What?? ?Maria. We know you like her.? ?Don?t be absurd. That was years ago.? ? ?Years ago?? What was years ago?? I swore inwardly at this and wanted to kick myself. I swallowed my pride and went on. ?Well, you know. I had a crush on her a while back. In eighth grade. It was stupid.? ?Sure you don?t still like her?? asked Steve. ?Of course I?m sure.? I ran a hand through my hair to wipe away any sweat that may have appeared. I realized it was suddenly just the three of us; the others had left. ?What?s not to be sure about?? I thrust my hands in my pockets. The two of them glanced at each other. Jared spoke. ?The sun, huh?? He pointed up to the sky. ?Luke, there are tons of clouds out. What sun?? He grinned. I realized that the moron level of boys didn?t disappear when they made it to high school; high school merely intensified it. ?I, uh?. I have to go. Sorry guys. Nice to play with you again. Hope the field doesn?t get ?dozed.? I turned and walked hurriedly away to my car, feeling like a complete moron myself. I was fiddling with the keys when a head appeared next to my window. ?You should tell her.? Jared stated. ?What? No! Even if I did like her, which I don?t, I wouldn?t do that.? He shrugged. ?Well, since our game got cut short, how about we grab something at Applebee?s later and talk?? Glad for the change of subject, I heartily agreed. We said our good-byes and I headed home for a shower and some homework. Yeah, homework, I guess I felt inspired. Later that night, I headed over to Applebee?s. I must have been the first one there because I didn?t see the other guys there. I got a table and sipped on my water as I waited. And waited. I was halfway through my third soda when I saw Maria walk in with some guy and sit down in a booth across the room. I tried to turn away but couldn?t. Her form completely mesmerized me. Fifteen minutes later, I was about to just go ahead and order something when I heard a disturbance across the room. Looking over, I saw it was Maria and her date. She looked upset. I think the guy was trying to get on the same side of the booth as her. I told the server to come back later and then I got up and walked over to Maria?s table. How I managed that, I don?t know. She saw me and smiled gratefully. His back was to me, so he must not have seen me. Everything afterwards happened in a blur. Maria turned to me again suddenly, but she had this look of distress on her face. I wanted to reach out for her, but she solved that by jumping up out of her seat and going to me. I didn?t know what to do so I stood there quietly. ?Luke? What?s wrong? Is grandpa dying?? I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again. Staying quiet was probably my best bet for whatever she was thinking. ?Oh, my God! He is!? Maria turned to her date. ?I have to go. That?s my cousin, see, and my grandfather?s deathly ill. Bye!? She grabbed my arm in her familiar way and steered me out of the restaurant. We stopped outside my car. ?Thanks for the save, Luke.? ?Uh, don?t mention it?? Yeah, really, don?t mention it, Maria. What just happened? ?You?re a great player in a pinch, you know? You always seemed to come through when we needed you.? ?Yeah, I guess so.? I hadn?t really looked at it that way, but I did remember batting for my team when we needed a good hit to bring us back into the game. I guess I was a good pinch hitter. ?You?re welcome,? I added awkwardly. We stood there in silence for a while. I was thinking about a lot of things, mainly involving the girl standing in front of me. Mainly involving my failings at talking to said girl. Thankfully, Maria broke through it then, taking me away from my painful thoughts. ?Luke? Mind dropping me home? He picked me up and?? She smiled wryly. ?Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure.? I answered hesitantly before jumping over to open the car door for her. ?Thanks.? I muttered a ?you?re welcome? before I got in and started up my old car. We rode in silence for the few couple miles to her house. I had nothing to say, well, nothing I could say that wouldn?t completely ruin our current friendship. Yeah, that was me, thinking about ruined friendships while riding in a car next to the girl I had wanted since eighth grade. ?Luke?? How could I have been so stupid? Why did I even agree to meet the gang again and play a game of ball? Or go to Applebee?s for some drinks and catching up? Why did I have to go over and? what did she call it? Pinch hit? Yeah, pinch hitting for her. Like I was never good for anything except in emergencies. Who wants that? I just wanted my old boring life back again. ?Luke? Are you okay?? Was that my name? It must be. I answered quite pointedly with a ?huh?? ?Your knuckles, they?re all white. What?s wrong?? Maria looked over at me. I saw her out of the corner of my eye. I didn?t dare glance over for fear of going into a ditch or rolling the car or something. I stared straight ahead at the flashing yellow dashes illuminated by my headlights. ?Uh, nothing?s wrong. I, uh, just get nervous driving in the dark. That?s all.? She chuckled. It sounded to me like a choir of angels warming up. ?I get the same way, don?t worry about it. I?ll be an extra pair of eyes for you.? She glanced over and laid her hand on my arm for a brief moment before replacing it back in her lap and looking out at the road before us. That brief moment seemed like a lifetime. It was almost as if I was dying and my entire life flashed before my eyes. The weirdest part about it was seeing Maria there. If I died right there on that road, would she still be there? I jerked the steering wheel and drove onto the side of the road. I shifted into park and my right hand still rested on the gearshift while my other gripped the wheel tightly. Maria must have thought I was going to pass out or puke or something because she spoke. ?Uh, Luke, what?s going on with you tonight? You?re acting really jumpy.? She rested her hand on my arm again and turned her head to me. ?Luke? Look at me.? I finally tore my gaze away from the pavement and looked at her. My head had regained movement but my tongue hadn?t. I could do nothing but stare at her. At her beautiful flawless face as she looked at me like I was a diseased cow. She took a breath as if bracing herself for something. ?Luke, I think I need to tell you something.? Oh, God, I am going to die? ?The date I was on, well, he didn?t ask me. Michelle and his sister set us up.? I didn?t see any earth-shattering problem; girls do that all the time, right? ?Oh?? I said. ?Yeah. If I had been set up, why would he act like such a jerk?? ?What do you mean?? ?Maybe he was told to make a scene? I know it?s crazy but?? ?No, no, I don?t think so.? I thought back to earlier that evening at the restaurant. My friends hadn?t shown up either. Maybe I had been stood up on purpose. I told her this. ?Wow, that?s freaky.? She turned her body and leaned back against her seat. She was almost on the console, dangerously close to me, dangerously close to setting me off again. ?Maybe they set you up to pinch hit for me.? I opened my mouth to say something, and I eventually did, but it wasn?t what I had expected. ?Maybe I could do more than pinch hit for you. Be a starter,? I blurted, instantly regretting it and ready to dive out of the car and make a run for it. She was silent for a while; I reached for the clasp on my seatbelt. ?It?s late, I should get home.? Foul ball. I put the car in gear and drove her the rest of the way home. As she got out, the most amazing, most unexpected thing happened. She kissed my cheek and said, ?I?m sure I can make a deal with the coach,? smiling. Then she went up the drive and into her house. At that moment, I was glad I didn?t have a convertible or I may have ended up in the atmosphere. ?See ya,? I whispered, too late. Home run. I pumped my first in the air as I backed out of her driveway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
