I was so excited that softball was finally starting. All of my senior year so far had been based on preparing for this day. Our first game of the year. I am known to be the star catcher on our team. I have a fierce drive to win, and I hate it when players on my team don't give the game their all. Coach knew this from the very first time he put me on the plate, he says he loves girls with attitude.
Today we were kicking off the season by playing our biggest rivals, the south end of the county, the South Dorchester Rhinos. We were known as the North Dorchester Bulldogs. I was leaning against the chain link fence behind our first base foul pole, watching the Rhino's warm up in the field.
"A lot of 'em look like rhinos, huh?" I heard.
It was my coach; we all just called him Kasey. He was 22, only four or five years older than most of the girls on the team. And let me tell you, he's a good looking man! He probably measured in at about 6'3, 180 lbs, and was pure muscle! His short brown hair and striking ice blue eyes added to his attractiveness.
I started to laugh at his comment, it was true. Most of the girls on the Rhino's were... big, for lack of a better word. Not to say they weren't good, the team was awesome, just not very attractive. We, on the other hand, were great, and hot!
"I dunno Kase, number 36 looks more like a blimp." I said with a straight face.
Kasey's deep laugh rumbled in my ear as he placed his arm around my shoulder to watch with me. Kasey and I were very close when it came to coach and player. I had actually known him since I was like five. He was my older brother's best friend.
"So are you ready to play a kick ass game?" he asked me as the Rhinos entered their dugout again, signaling the game was ready to begin.
"You know I am." I said with a smile as we started to walk over to our dugout.
Kasey always began the games with a pep talk to the team. He was a great coach; he always made great plays and knew how to keep our spirits up in tough times. After his speech we grabbed our gear and headed out to the field, as home team, we would have last at-bat.
Three innings in, the game was not going our way. We were behind by four points and not getting any better. I was starting to get frustrated behind the plate. Kasey was making the right calls, but no one was paying attention to them. The new girls on the team, the one's who had moved up from J.V. this year, didn't seem to think they had to listen to Kasey. After two more errors were made in the field, I was fed up. I threw off my helmet and called a time out. Our infield all gathered around the pitcher's mound where I made sure to point out that they weren't listening and that's why we were losing.
Kasey stood on the sidelines watching this meeting, hearing every word. He was proud of the way I took charge of our team. There needed to be one girl to be named captain this season, and so far it looked like it was going to be me. After I got the new girls' heads on straight we began playing again, and AMAZINGLY, the new ones started to pay attention. Ever more amazingly? We scored three runs as soon as we got up to bat! We needed two more to take the lead, and I was up.
There was a sophomore on second base, so I knew I had to bring her in to home. I prided myself on patience when it came to selecting the right pitch. I settled back into the box and took the signs to heart that Kasey was giving me. Until he gave me one that I had no clue what it meant! He tapped his chest twice and gave me a smile. Confused I just turned back and waited. It was the perfect pitch! A bit low and straight down the middle, just how I liked them!
I swung hard and connected with the neon yellow ball, sending it into deep left. Not sure whether it would clear the fence I charged to first, and took the first base coach's signal and kept going to second. As I rounded second I saw Kasey, wide eyed, an ear splitting grin on his face. He was waving me on towards home, but by the urgency of his movements I knew this wasn't an ordinary homerun, but maybe an in the park homerun. Gina, the girl on second had already scored and was watching wide eyed from behind home plate.
As I was sprinting towards home I heard Kasey's deep voice yell "DOWN!" and immediately leveled into a slide, my right foot connecting with the bag a split second before I felt the catcher's mitt smack into my thigh. I knew I was safe. And the ump's call confirmed it. We'd just moved into the lead, and I'd just got a in the park homerun!
I went to stand up and cheer, but when I stood I recognized the pain that had been shooting through my ankle since I slid into home. I'd been too excited to notice it before now. It hurt! I sank back down to the ground, holding my ankle and signaled to the ump that I was hurt.
Within two seconds Kasey was crouched beside me asking what was wrong. I told him about my ankle and he slid down my sock, revealing the fact that my ankle was already swelling and bruising. Looks like I wasn't going to get to finish my first game of the season. I was incredibly mad. Then, I was completely shocked.
Kasey told Rob, our assistant coach to take over the game; he was taking me to the hospital.
"Hell no Kasey, we've got half the game to go, you can't leave them now." I said as Kasey helped me to my feet, supporting me on the side that I couldn't walk on.
His arm was around my waist, mine around his shoulder.
