Flight Risk
Softball.
After school I met up with Johnny and Micki outside of the ancient building before Micki and I explained to Johnny about our softball tryouts today and took off towards the girls locker room to change. I pulled on a tank top, a pair of basketball shorts and my favorite pink laced Puma sneakers. Micki and I jogged to the center of the gym with our gloves to meet up with all the girls from last years team.
All the freshman that wanted to try out for the team were sitting on the bleachers and our coach called everyone into the center so we could partner up for warm-ups. Micki and I ran to get a ball and began tossing it back and forth with our bare hands, backing up after each of us had caught it. Eventually we moved onto really throwing it and I smirked as Micki grinned and pounded her fist into her catchers glove, "Bring it on, Granger!" she challenged and I threw the ball, rolling my shoulder and flicking my wrist as I made the ball fly right into her glove.
I laughed as she let out a 'damn' when the ball cracked against her mitt, although our coach didn't find it as funny and yelled at Micki for her language. The whole hour and 45 minutes we were 'trying out' we ran drills, had batting practice and raced around the bases multiple times each as our coach used us as ghost runners for the freshman attempting to get on the team.
After all of that my body was aching as Micks and I threw ourselves back down onto the bleachers as Coach Ferguson made the announcement that we could wait around to find out who made it or we could come check at school tomorrow. Nobody left.
Micki and I sat around for a few minutes talking about who we thought would get onto the team when a voice interrupted us, "Excuse me," A girl with fire red hair said timidly and I smiled at her.
"Hi there." I stood up, folding my arms over my chest. Micki copying.
She smiled back nervously as my best friend rolled her eyes, "Could you tell me how this works?"
I nodded. "Sure, you see, there are three open spots from the seniors who graduated last year."
The girl looked a little bummed and her voice was quiet as she asked," So only three of us freshman will get on?"
Micki sighed and rolled her eyes again, annoyed, "No, you guys can get in if you are better then any of us." Micki smirked. "But I doubt that'll happen."
I shoved Micki and she groaned. "I'm Granger, first base," I murmured, holding my hand out, "This is Micki, she's catcher."
"Georgia Madison, Short stop," She shook my hand lightly. "Hopefully, anyways."
I grinned wider, "So you'll be in my territory! Sweet! It's great to meet you, Georgia!" I called the last part as she scurried away to a group of nervous looking freshman girls to relay what we had just told her.
It was about a 40 minute wait and a bottle of Gatorade and water later, that our Coach Jamie Ferguson came walking out with a piece of paper in her hand. "So you know that I would love to put you all on the team but it's really sad that there are only nine positions and two alternates for the Huntington Beach Oilers this year..."
Micki and I leaned back against the bench behind us as she continued her pity speech. Micki grinned at me. "You seem pretty confident," she murmured and I nodded, running my fingers over the stars tattoo on my left arm.
"I've got this in the bag." I shrugged and she laughed.
"Mhm, It's set in stone."
I tucked my damp blonde bangs back behind my ears and pushed the long thick, ponytail off of the back of my neck. Micki and I talked about how we thought we did while we sat there, Coach shouting things we had heard multiple times before.
"Mickhala! Everly! Listen up, you fools!" Our coach, Jamie Ferguson, yelled as she got the the important part of her rambling and simultaneously Micki and I leaned forward, our elbows resting on our knees and our fingers laced in front of us.
"So here is your 2002 HB Oilers Girls Softball Roster!" Coach shouted and Micki and I smirked, awaiting our names.
"For your team captain and pitcher we have Miss Abigail Morretti!" Abigail smiled proudly as everyone clapped, Micki and I groaned as we found out she'd also be our captain.
"You catcher for the fourth year in a row, Micki Bennett!" Micki, being as dramatic as she is, just rolled her eyes as everyone clapped for her like it was unexpected for her to make it once again.
"Everly Granger is going to be your first baseman for the second time!" Coach continued and I high-fived my best friend and the giant grins stayed on our faces as she read off the rest of the team.
"A freshman has stepped up and claimed second base this year: A Miss Kazel Edwards!" The girl smiled and jumped around with the girl with fire red hair as her name was called as well.
"Georgia Madison, another freshman is your shortstop! Erica Johnson is back as your faithful third basemen! Freshman, Olivia Deegan is your left fielder. Sophomore, Sarah Newman is your new right fielder and Jessica Grane returns to catch those over the fence flys out in center! We have one new alternate this year: Michelle Berk and the returning Brittany Hail!"
Our coach talked on and on about how sorry she was for the 11 girls that didn't make the team and how they could try again next year. Micki and I jumped up as she called up the 12 girls that made the team. Ferguson mentioned that we had to pick our numbers right now and that returning players got first choice.
"Eight," I stated immediately when my name left her lips, Micki followed me with the number 'Six'. Micki and I didn't stick around for the others to choose their numbers, we bi-passed the locker rooms and decided that we would just shower at my house so we could go catch the 3:15 bus back to my place.
We smiled, almost cockily, as we passed the girls in the hall that didn't make it. They just scoffed at us and Micki and I shared a knowing look, our backpacks and gyms bags in our arms. There were a few girls littering the front of the brick building as we emerged from it and most seemed to have their eyes on the five guys standing almost awkwardly outside.
"What are you jerks doing here?" I called as Micki and I skipped down the tan brick stairs.
"We came to pick you up!" Matt replied and I tried to hide the smile from my face.
"Why?" I questioned bluntly, dropping my things to the ground and attempting to wipe the sweat from my body.
"Thought you might not want to walk," Jimmy stated running up to hug me. I let out an 'oof' as he pulled me from the ground.
When he put me down Micki raised her eyebrows and he and I shook my head ever so slightly. She smirked.
"Who's your friend?" Brian asked, a smirk resting upon his own features from where he stood by Matt.
I rolled my blue eyes and Micki walked over to me, "Jailbait, Bri," I murmured and he glared at me, folding his arms over his buff chest.
Micki sighed with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm Micki, Granger's best friend. Who are you?" she asked rudely, glaring at him in the way she always did to people who she wasn't certain about.
The guys all said their hellos and Zacky walked forward and pulled me into a tight hug, I cocked my head at him. "What's up?" I asked slowly.
"Shortshit told us you were trying out for softball?" he quipped, glancing between Micki and I.
We shared a knowing smirk and shook our heads. "No," we stated simultaneously. I continued, "We were merely showing the youngins' how it's done."
"And waiting." Micki grinned. "For our names to be called."
The guys chuckled at our self-assured attitudes. "And I'm guessing you got in?" Zack inquired, grinning at me.
Micki and I laughed. "Hell yes," we exclaimed loudly.
They all laughed again and Matt pointed to the parking lot. "You two ready to get out of here? I hated this place when I went here and when I left and I never thought I was coming back so this old place is kind of giving me the creeps."
I chuckled and nodded, picking my bags up from the concrete, "Yeah, lets get out of here. I need to go to my place and shower though, I'm disgusting."
All five guys gave me worried looks and Zack pulled my gym bag off of my shoulder, he looked to Jimmy as the tall man asked, "Will your mother be there?"
I nodded slowly, causing them to groan.
"Oh come on!" I bellowed as we walked towards a blue car that Matt rushed to unlock and a beat up black truck that Brian walked over to. The guys threw our bags in the back of it. "My mom isn't that bad! She won't do anything to you guys! You've just got to wait so Micki and I can shower, she won't do a thing... I think," I murmured and Micki chuckled as she climbed into the front seat of Matt's car, leaving me in the back between Johnny and Zacky. I climbed in as Micki laughed at the guys' groaning.
"Yeah, her mom won't say a thing! She might cut off your appendages so you can't illegitimately impregnate her daughter, but that's not so bad." We both shrugged as they all shuttered.
Brian and Jimmy followed us back to my house and I rolled my eyes when I realized that there was no way we could sneak past my mother with the rumbling of Bri's piece of junk. I pulled my black sweatshirt on as Micki led the way into my house and walked right past my Mom, who sat on the couch, watching t.v. But before we could disappear into the hallway my mother called my name and beaconed me back to her. "Everly!"
Everyone, including me grimaced at the sound of her voice. "Yeah, Mamma?" I called back from the hallway.
She stood up and walked over to us. My blue eyes were staring back at us as she studied the seven of us. "I tried to call you, we've you been for the last two hours?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
I sighed and ushered the guys into my room. I leaned against the wall of the living room, "I told you I had softball after school today. Matt picked us up afterwards." I shrugged and my mother nodded unhappily.
"I don't like them here, Everly. They are too old for you. They have tattoos and piercings, they are no good!"
I rolled my eyes and pulled the sleeves down over my hands so she wouldn't notice 'Live Free', tattooed across my knuckles. "Mom, you don't even know them." I walked away from her and into my room. They guys and Micki were sitting on my floor and bed watching t.v when I walked in. "I'm going to shower, Micks you can wash the sweat off of you after." I walked to my closet and pulled out some yellow jeans and one one of my favorite shirts.
"Hey!" Matt called as I went to walk out of the room, "Party at my place tonight!"
I grinned back. "Sweet, Give me 20 minutes."
About an hour later Micki and I were back in Matt's car on the way to the 21 year old's house, leaving our forgotten homework in backpacks on the floor of my room. When we pulled up to Matt's place he let us in and the guys started setting up as Micki and I sat on his couch, drinking coke and telling them what to put on for music.
"This is going to be one kick ass party!" Micki cheered when the guys sat down on the couch, finding nothing wrong with the fact that we were already sitting there.
All the freshman that wanted to try out for the team were sitting on the bleachers and our coach called everyone into the center so we could partner up for warm-ups. Micki and I ran to get a ball and began tossing it back and forth with our bare hands, backing up after each of us had caught it. Eventually we moved onto really throwing it and I smirked as Micki grinned and pounded her fist into her catchers glove, "Bring it on, Granger!" she challenged and I threw the ball, rolling my shoulder and flicking my wrist as I made the ball fly right into her glove.
I laughed as she let out a 'damn' when the ball cracked against her mitt, although our coach didn't find it as funny and yelled at Micki for her language. The whole hour and 45 minutes we were 'trying out' we ran drills, had batting practice and raced around the bases multiple times each as our coach used us as ghost runners for the freshman attempting to get on the team.
After all of that my body was aching as Micks and I threw ourselves back down onto the bleachers as Coach Ferguson made the announcement that we could wait around to find out who made it or we could come check at school tomorrow. Nobody left.
Micki and I sat around for a few minutes talking about who we thought would get onto the team when a voice interrupted us, "Excuse me," A girl with fire red hair said timidly and I smiled at her.
"Hi there." I stood up, folding my arms over my chest. Micki copying.
She smiled back nervously as my best friend rolled her eyes, "Could you tell me how this works?"
I nodded. "Sure, you see, there are three open spots from the seniors who graduated last year."
The girl looked a little bummed and her voice was quiet as she asked," So only three of us freshman will get on?"
Micki sighed and rolled her eyes again, annoyed, "No, you guys can get in if you are better then any of us." Micki smirked. "But I doubt that'll happen."
I shoved Micki and she groaned. "I'm Granger, first base," I murmured, holding my hand out, "This is Micki, she's catcher."
"Georgia Madison, Short stop," She shook my hand lightly. "Hopefully, anyways."
I grinned wider, "So you'll be in my territory! Sweet! It's great to meet you, Georgia!" I called the last part as she scurried away to a group of nervous looking freshman girls to relay what we had just told her.
It was about a 40 minute wait and a bottle of Gatorade and water later, that our Coach Jamie Ferguson came walking out with a piece of paper in her hand. "So you know that I would love to put you all on the team but it's really sad that there are only nine positions and two alternates for the Huntington Beach Oilers this year..."
Micki and I leaned back against the bench behind us as she continued her pity speech. Micki grinned at me. "You seem pretty confident," she murmured and I nodded, running my fingers over the stars tattoo on my left arm.
"I've got this in the bag." I shrugged and she laughed.
"Mhm, It's set in stone."
I tucked my damp blonde bangs back behind my ears and pushed the long thick, ponytail off of the back of my neck. Micki and I talked about how we thought we did while we sat there, Coach shouting things we had heard multiple times before.
"Mickhala! Everly! Listen up, you fools!" Our coach, Jamie Ferguson, yelled as she got the the important part of her rambling and simultaneously Micki and I leaned forward, our elbows resting on our knees and our fingers laced in front of us.
"So here is your 2002 HB Oilers Girls Softball Roster!" Coach shouted and Micki and I smirked, awaiting our names.
"For your team captain and pitcher we have Miss Abigail Morretti!" Abigail smiled proudly as everyone clapped, Micki and I groaned as we found out she'd also be our captain.
"You catcher for the fourth year in a row, Micki Bennett!" Micki, being as dramatic as she is, just rolled her eyes as everyone clapped for her like it was unexpected for her to make it once again.
"Everly Granger is going to be your first baseman for the second time!" Coach continued and I high-fived my best friend and the giant grins stayed on our faces as she read off the rest of the team.
"A freshman has stepped up and claimed second base this year: A Miss Kazel Edwards!" The girl smiled and jumped around with the girl with fire red hair as her name was called as well.
"Georgia Madison, another freshman is your shortstop! Erica Johnson is back as your faithful third basemen! Freshman, Olivia Deegan is your left fielder. Sophomore, Sarah Newman is your new right fielder and Jessica Grane returns to catch those over the fence flys out in center! We have one new alternate this year: Michelle Berk and the returning Brittany Hail!"
Our coach talked on and on about how sorry she was for the 11 girls that didn't make the team and how they could try again next year. Micki and I jumped up as she called up the 12 girls that made the team. Ferguson mentioned that we had to pick our numbers right now and that returning players got first choice.
"Eight," I stated immediately when my name left her lips, Micki followed me with the number 'Six'. Micki and I didn't stick around for the others to choose their numbers, we bi-passed the locker rooms and decided that we would just shower at my house so we could go catch the 3:15 bus back to my place.
We smiled, almost cockily, as we passed the girls in the hall that didn't make it. They just scoffed at us and Micki and I shared a knowing look, our backpacks and gyms bags in our arms. There were a few girls littering the front of the brick building as we emerged from it and most seemed to have their eyes on the five guys standing almost awkwardly outside.
"What are you jerks doing here?" I called as Micki and I skipped down the tan brick stairs.
"We came to pick you up!" Matt replied and I tried to hide the smile from my face.
"Why?" I questioned bluntly, dropping my things to the ground and attempting to wipe the sweat from my body.
"Thought you might not want to walk," Jimmy stated running up to hug me. I let out an 'oof' as he pulled me from the ground.
When he put me down Micki raised her eyebrows and he and I shook my head ever so slightly. She smirked.
"Who's your friend?" Brian asked, a smirk resting upon his own features from where he stood by Matt.
I rolled my blue eyes and Micki walked over to me, "Jailbait, Bri," I murmured and he glared at me, folding his arms over his buff chest.
Micki sighed with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm Micki, Granger's best friend. Who are you?" she asked rudely, glaring at him in the way she always did to people who she wasn't certain about.
The guys all said their hellos and Zacky walked forward and pulled me into a tight hug, I cocked my head at him. "What's up?" I asked slowly.
"Shortshit told us you were trying out for softball?" he quipped, glancing between Micki and I.
We shared a knowing smirk and shook our heads. "No," we stated simultaneously. I continued, "We were merely showing the youngins' how it's done."
"And waiting." Micki grinned. "For our names to be called."
The guys chuckled at our self-assured attitudes. "And I'm guessing you got in?" Zack inquired, grinning at me.
Micki and I laughed. "Hell yes," we exclaimed loudly.
They all laughed again and Matt pointed to the parking lot. "You two ready to get out of here? I hated this place when I went here and when I left and I never thought I was coming back so this old place is kind of giving me the creeps."
I chuckled and nodded, picking my bags up from the concrete, "Yeah, lets get out of here. I need to go to my place and shower though, I'm disgusting."
All five guys gave me worried looks and Zack pulled my gym bag off of my shoulder, he looked to Jimmy as the tall man asked, "Will your mother be there?"
I nodded slowly, causing them to groan.
"Oh come on!" I bellowed as we walked towards a blue car that Matt rushed to unlock and a beat up black truck that Brian walked over to. The guys threw our bags in the back of it. "My mom isn't that bad! She won't do anything to you guys! You've just got to wait so Micki and I can shower, she won't do a thing... I think," I murmured and Micki chuckled as she climbed into the front seat of Matt's car, leaving me in the back between Johnny and Zacky. I climbed in as Micki laughed at the guys' groaning.
"Yeah, her mom won't say a thing! She might cut off your appendages so you can't illegitimately impregnate her daughter, but that's not so bad." We both shrugged as they all shuttered.
Brian and Jimmy followed us back to my house and I rolled my eyes when I realized that there was no way we could sneak past my mother with the rumbling of Bri's piece of junk. I pulled my black sweatshirt on as Micki led the way into my house and walked right past my Mom, who sat on the couch, watching t.v. But before we could disappear into the hallway my mother called my name and beaconed me back to her. "Everly!"
Everyone, including me grimaced at the sound of her voice. "Yeah, Mamma?" I called back from the hallway.
She stood up and walked over to us. My blue eyes were staring back at us as she studied the seven of us. "I tried to call you, we've you been for the last two hours?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
I sighed and ushered the guys into my room. I leaned against the wall of the living room, "I told you I had softball after school today. Matt picked us up afterwards." I shrugged and my mother nodded unhappily.
"I don't like them here, Everly. They are too old for you. They have tattoos and piercings, they are no good!"
I rolled my eyes and pulled the sleeves down over my hands so she wouldn't notice 'Live Free', tattooed across my knuckles. "Mom, you don't even know them." I walked away from her and into my room. They guys and Micki were sitting on my floor and bed watching t.v when I walked in. "I'm going to shower, Micks you can wash the sweat off of you after." I walked to my closet and pulled out some yellow jeans and one one of my favorite shirts.
"Hey!" Matt called as I went to walk out of the room, "Party at my place tonight!"
I grinned back. "Sweet, Give me 20 minutes."
About an hour later Micki and I were back in Matt's car on the way to the 21 year old's house, leaving our forgotten homework in backpacks on the floor of my room. When we pulled up to Matt's place he let us in and the guys started setting up as Micki and I sat on his couch, drinking coke and telling them what to put on for music.
"This is going to be one kick ass party!" Micki cheered when the guys sat down on the couch, finding nothing wrong with the fact that we were already sitting there.
