My Girl

I grabbed my putter from the compartment in my bag as Sylvia walked back from the spot she was standing at, twirling her golf club happily. She glanced at me as I walked past her and grabbed onto my arm.

“Don’t screw this up just because of him, Elise.” She whispered into my ear, shooting a glance at Nick, who was leaning up against his and Joe’s golf cart. We were beating their team by two points, if I made it this hole, it would make it almost impossible for Nick and Joe to beat us, we would most likely win. If I missed, and Nick made it, we would lose…there would be no way for us to close the gap between our scores.

I straightened my arms but shook them out, getting in the stance Nick had taught me. From the corner of my eye, I could see Nick concentrating on my stance. Glancing over at him quickly, he smiled and wiggled his fingers at his sides.

“Loosen your grip.” He mouthed, pointing down at my hands that were clutching onto my club. I stared down at my knuckles, which were white from how hard I had been holding on, and did as Nick said.

By the time our two teams had gotten to the final hole, the side games were done. The entire field seemed to be split up in two different colors. Bright blue for Joe and Nick’s school, pale yellow uniforms for Mine and Sylvia’s.

My hand slid down the golf club as I felt the pressure on me deepen. The whispers of Nick’s classmates were getting louder. A few voices stuck out.

“Why is she taking so long?” “Is she alright?” “Someone tell her to hurry the hell up.”

Someone shushed them and I looked up, seeing Nick’s mouth close slowly. He shot me a look and I stared back down at the grass stained golf ball in front of me.

“Daddy, why does this have to happen to you?” I had asked my dad as he lay on his mattress, which some day a few weeks after this conversation would become his deathbed.

“Everything happens for reasons, Elise. Good and bad. The good things…sometimes just get handed to you, and you have two ways to deal with it.” My dads pale hand reached out for mine and I watched as his weak fingers wrap around my palm. “You can either take it by embracing it and realizing there is a plan for you, or you can choose to not accept what is given to you, and instead give it to someone who deserves it more.”

“What should you do?” I had asked him as his head nodded, he was getting tired, since I had kept him up for a few hours talking.

“It depends on the situation. You will know…” He trailed off and smiled up at me. “Something will just tell you.”

“You can do it.” Nick whispered, loud enough for our teammates to hear. Sylvia perked up from where she was standing on the green, and Joe didn’t move an inch.

Nick smiling in the car when My Girl started playing. My dad smiling down at me as he tucked my blankets into my bed, the words falling across his lips. Nick’s sturdy hand wrapping around mine. My dad’s weak hand gripping onto mine with the last bit of his energy. Nick’s lips sending electric shock-waves through my entire body. My dad kissing the top of my head as the life faded from his body. Something will just tell you.

Before I knew what I was doing, my arms swung and I saw the ball curve too far to the left. Some people had started cheering before the my golf ball curved past the eighteenth hole, others waited in silence before I had gotten out of my stance. Nonetheless, everyone in the blue Meadow Wood jerseys were cheering now, except for one who was stuck in the center of the crowd.

“What did you do!?” Sylvia ran up to my side, her visor falling slightly off of her head.

“I-I…” My eyes didn’t leave Nick’s, who had stood completely still in his schools chaos. I caught a sudden glimpse of Joe, who was smiling victoriously, although he also knew what had just happened.

“Save it.” Sylvia’s hand came up in front of her as she continued to glare down at me. “I know exactly what happened. He scammed you into this, he…he did something!” She screamed, throwing her golf club down at me. I didn’t have time to notice the facial expressions of the people standing close enough to hear our conversations. If I did have enough time in the first place, I don’t think I would have been able to tell the difference.

Because Sylvia being angry about what had just happened might have not meant anything to me, but when I watched as Nick shoved his way through the crowd, his cheeks flushed and his eyes clinched together angrily, truly broke my heart.