Running The Bases
A Bathroom Stall
chapter 14
Michael stared at me. “You alright?” he asked. He walked over to me flapping his arms in front of me. I had picked up the ball and stared at it. I missed? I shouldn’t be shocked about it; I mean plenty of MLB players miss the ball every single day. But, but…I haven’t missed a ball since…Jakob died…
Michael takes the ball away from me and looks at me. I raised my eyebrow and looked back up at him. He takes a step back and gently throws the ball again.
I miss.
“Uh, I guess I’m just really tired this morning, heheh.” I said rubbing the back of my head, and picking up the ball with my mitt. “I’llberightback.” I threw the ball back and quickly headed over to the dugout, I passed Andrei and Joey on the way there who were both staring at me as I was talking to myself with my mitt covering my mouth.
“Back so soon?” Dana laughed.
“Uh yeah, I just…needed to go pee.” I said. I jogged over to the locker rooms and locked myself in one of the bathroom stalls.
Why? Why am I freaking out? I thought to myself. Was it from earlier today? B-but…what. No. Huh?
I paced around in mini circles in the stall. My heart was racing.
I stopped pacing.
“I give up.” I said.
“Julia?” I jumped at the name of my name.
“Holy shit-“I opened the door to see Andrei standing there. Arms folded and all. “Why are you always here?”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Are you ignoring my question? Are you stalking me?” I asked raising an eyebrow and leaning against the stall door.
“No, I’m not.” Andrei rolls his eyes. “You’re acting weird. Why?” I sighed and took by body weight off the door.
“I have no idea.” I confessed. “I really don’t…I feel weird.”
“Like, how?” Andrei rested his elbow against the door now, leaning in closer to me.
“I just…I don’t know.” I said. “My heart, my brain…things are changing.”
“Everything’s changing.” he said.
“I kinda figured.” I muttered. Andrei laughed. “Your eye is still swollen.”
“Yeah, it will be for a while. It hurts.” he said. He brought his finger to his face and touched the bruise and surrounded his eye. It was silenced.
“About the locker room…” Andrei began.
“It was nothing. I knew it was just an accident. It did surprise me though.” I said. “For a moment I thought you were…gay hehe.” I laughed a little.
“Yeah, uh, no.” Andrei said. “I don’t know I am.”
“Brett did look…mad?” I said. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my pants.
“You could say that.” said Andrei.
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing. He’s jus mad that he can’t…pitch.” said Andrei.
“Oh.” I said. I held up my pitching hand.
Andrei patted my head.
“Your fine.” he said. “I think your just overwhelmed with everything.”
“Yeah.” I sighed.
“Let’s go back out kay?” he said. I nodded. He grabbed my hand and I could myself grow a new color. He walked me out and we went over to the dugout.
“Oh you finally got her back.” Dana said. She held the clipboard in front of her mouth. Her eyes focused on our hands that were interlocked.
She quickly darted her eyes away and her shoulders slouched.
“You wanted to hang out today didn’t you?” I asked her letting go of Andrei’s hand.
“Uh, actually can’t anymore.” she smiled and turned around.
“Oh, alright then.” I picked up a loose ball I found and dropped it into the pocket of my mitt.
“Wanna throw around a few?” Andrei asked me.
“Why not.” I said picking up the ball and dropping it back down.p
Michael stared at me. “You alright?” he asked. He walked over to me flapping his arms in front of me. I had picked up the ball and stared at it. I missed? I shouldn’t be shocked about it; I mean plenty of MLB players miss the ball every single day. But, but…I haven’t missed a ball since…Jakob died…
Michael takes the ball away from me and looks at me. I raised my eyebrow and looked back up at him. He takes a step back and gently throws the ball again.
I miss.
“Uh, I guess I’m just really tired this morning, heheh.” I said rubbing the back of my head, and picking up the ball with my mitt. “I’llberightback.” I threw the ball back and quickly headed over to the dugout, I passed Andrei and Joey on the way there who were both staring at me as I was talking to myself with my mitt covering my mouth.
“Back so soon?” Dana laughed.
“Uh yeah, I just…needed to go pee.” I said. I jogged over to the locker rooms and locked myself in one of the bathroom stalls.
Why? Why am I freaking out? I thought to myself. Was it from earlier today? B-but…what. No. Huh?
I paced around in mini circles in the stall. My heart was racing.
I stopped pacing.
“I give up.” I said.
“Julia?” I jumped at the name of my name.
“Holy shit-“I opened the door to see Andrei standing there. Arms folded and all. “Why are you always here?”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Are you ignoring my question? Are you stalking me?” I asked raising an eyebrow and leaning against the stall door.
“No, I’m not.” Andrei rolls his eyes. “You’re acting weird. Why?” I sighed and took by body weight off the door.
“I have no idea.” I confessed. “I really don’t…I feel weird.”
“Like, how?” Andrei rested his elbow against the door now, leaning in closer to me.
“I just…I don’t know.” I said. “My heart, my brain…things are changing.”
“Everything’s changing.” he said.
“I kinda figured.” I muttered. Andrei laughed. “Your eye is still swollen.”
“Yeah, it will be for a while. It hurts.” he said. He brought his finger to his face and touched the bruise and surrounded his eye. It was silenced.
“About the locker room…” Andrei began.
“It was nothing. I knew it was just an accident. It did surprise me though.” I said. “For a moment I thought you were…gay hehe.” I laughed a little.
“Yeah, uh, no.” Andrei said. “I don’t know I am.”
“Brett did look…mad?” I said. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my pants.
“You could say that.” said Andrei.
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing. He’s jus mad that he can’t…pitch.” said Andrei.
“Oh.” I said. I held up my pitching hand.
Andrei patted my head.
“Your fine.” he said. “I think your just overwhelmed with everything.”
“Yeah.” I sighed.
“Let’s go back out kay?” he said. I nodded. He grabbed my hand and I could myself grow a new color. He walked me out and we went over to the dugout.
“Oh you finally got her back.” Dana said. She held the clipboard in front of her mouth. Her eyes focused on our hands that were interlocked.
She quickly darted her eyes away and her shoulders slouched.
“You wanted to hang out today didn’t you?” I asked her letting go of Andrei’s hand.
“Uh, actually can’t anymore.” she smiled and turned around.
“Oh, alright then.” I picked up a loose ball I found and dropped it into the pocket of my mitt.
“Wanna throw around a few?” Andrei asked me.
“Why not.” I said picking up the ball and dropping it back down.p