Chances Risked

-Maggie-
The sweat dripped off of my face as I just finished my ten mile jog on the treadmill, it was an optional practice, but most of the team came in. Half the time was going to be held on the ice, practicing lines, while the other was going to be spent working out. Later tonight some of the guys and I were going to a Pittsburgh Pirates game to sport the team and do some kind of charity thing, I didn’t really know the details, I was just told to be there.

It was April 28th, twenty four hours since our final regular season game was over and James, Paul, Matt, Beau, Sutter, Vitale and I found ourselves to be on the baseball field of the Pirates, two hours before the game was supposed to begin. Marc was supposed to be here, but with Vero just having her baby a few days ago, that’s a dramatic story on its own, he needed to be with her.

“I’ve never been to a baseball game,” I said and the guys looked at me, the looks they were giving me was mixed between –Are you serious– and –What kind of American are you– and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh, “What?”

“How have you never been to a baseball game? You’ve never gone to one with the Penguins before?” James asked and I shook my head, “Are you serious?!”

“I don’t really like the sport,” I said and the guys threw back their heads and groaned, “What?!”

“Just stop,” Vitale said and I sighed, “Just stop right now.”

“Fine! Won’t say a word!” I said and looked at the guys, they were still looking at me, “I will say that someone will have to explain the game to me-“

“Shut up!” they yelled and I laughed as they all had miserable looks on their faces.

“Well, look who it is!” we all heard and turned our heads to see the Pirates, the team was walking onto the field over towards us, I just stood in-between James and Paul. I felt left out, the guys were all wearing Pirate shirts and I was just in white shorts and a long sleeve button up jean shirt, and the sleeves were rolled up to my elbows. I had my hair in my signature side braid with a pair of gold aviators on my face and sandals on my feet.

“Nice to see you guys,” bro hugs were being given in every direction and I definitely felt out of the loop, apparently some of them knew each other, who knew.

“Was wondering when you were going to come to one of our games,” I heard and looked up to see a man in front of me, his jersey number was forty four, but I didn’t know who he was, “Nice to meet you, Maggie.”

“Nice to meet you- Uh,” I laughed nervously.

“Ouch, that’s an ego bruise,” he laughed as we shook hands and some of the others came around.

“Don’t mind Mags- She’s been deprived of the sport of baseball,” James said as his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

“She definitely knows how to hurt our pride,” one of the other said and the guys laughed and I just blushed.

‘…Should have never said anything…’ I thought and wanted to elbow James for saying anything.

“My names Tony,” he said and we smiled, “Tony Watson.”

One by one they introduced themselves to me and I just nodded my head, but I couldn’t help but see that Tony kept his eyes on me.

“So, what are we going to be doing?” Sutter asked and Tony pulled out a bat.

“Bringing you into our world,” he winked towards me, “We wanna see you in our element, just like tomorrow; you’re going to see us in yours.”

I let out a laugh, now this I definitely wanted to see, “Fine, but you’re not allowed to make fun of me if I miss the ball,” I said and the guys laughed.

“You laugh, but she’s not joking,” Beau said and I tilted my head back and smiled towards him.

“We’ll see,” someone said and then we all headed in different directions.

Apparently we were going to have a little game and we were going to be batting first. James decided that he was going to go first and I just followed my teammates over towards one of the dugouts. We shared the Pirates’ dugout with the players that weren’t on the field and I leaned against the rail and watched as Tony pitched the ball to James and he hit it and started to run towards first base.

‘…Oh hell naw- That isn’t happening…’ I said and shook my head, not knowing if I was going to be able to hit the ball.

James made it to first base and then stayed, almost getting out, and the only reason I knew what was going on, was because Sutter was currently telling me what was happening as Paul went up to bat. He hit the ball, but one of the guys caught it and he was out, James ran back to first.

“You’re up Marshall,” I heard and saw the Pirates looking at me.

“That’s all right, Sutter can-“

“Get it, girl!” Beau smiled and pushed me towards the stairs and I glared at him.

“Sandals are not meant to play baseball!” I growled and shook my head, finding myself taking my shoes off and throwing them towards Paul, “Can’t believe I’m doing this,” the guys were laughing as I walked to home plate, ‘…Mikey, can you believe this- I’m fuckin’ goin’ to be playin baseball!...’

“We got a rookie- Move it in!” Tony yelled from where he stood and I heard some chuckling and saw some guys moving closer.

“Oh, fuck off!” I growled and the guys laughed hard. Tony pitched the ball and I missed, he pitched it again and I missed it.

“Time out!” he yelled and jogged over towards me, “Have you ever played before?”

“Nope,” I said, popping the ‘p’.

“This is how you hold a bat,” he said and came up behind me and I felt a little uncomfortable as he came up behind me, his chest pressed up against my back as he showed me how to hold the bat and taught me out to swing, I could feel his breath on my neck and I just wished it was over, “Got it?” he smirked towards me and I nodded my head, “Great, let’s try this again.”

I took a deep breath and looked towards James, who seemed to be following Tony as he ran back to the pitcher’s mound, an unhappy look on his face, ‘…Yeah, I don’t about that….’ I thought and took another deep breath and got into the stance that I was just in. Tony pitched the ball and I hit it, squealing as I actually hit the ball.

“RUN!!!” the guys yelled.

“What?”

“MAGGIE RUN!!!” they yelled.

“Oh, right!” I laughed and ran towards first base, happy that I hit the ball into the outfield and smiled brightly because since the guys thought that I wasn’t going to hit it that far, they came in closer and missed their chance to catch my ball.

“All right, Mags!” James yelled from third base and I smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

-James-
We all knew at the end of the ‘game’ the Pirates had let us win, we had played for an hour and the staff needed to get the field ready, not to mention that fans were starting to come in. We hurried off the field and walked back towards the Pirates locker room. I watched as Watson pulled Maggie aside and was talking to her, leaning against his locker, I didn’t like it. Paul game up behind me and gave me a look, I knew that look, he didn’t like either, and judging by how uncomfortable Maggie looked, she didn’t either.

“Go save the poor girl,” Vitale said and Beau chuckled and headed forward.

We watched as Watson handed Maggie a jersey, she just nodded her head and that’s when Beau walked over towards her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and told her that we should head up to our seats because the other were probably waiting for us, which was probably true. I knew that Emma was coming to the game with baby Troy, Maggie’s brother, Nick was coming with two of his friends and they were our ‘others’.

Beau pulled Maggie away and headed for the door, I looked at her to see her giggling at something Beau had said. As soon as they left the room, I walked over towards Watson, “Hey man.”

“Yo, Neal, what’s up?” he smiled, we knew each other, I started coming to Pirates games with Matt and Paul last season and we got to know the team.

“Listen man, about Maggie-“

“Dude, she’s fuckin’ hot- How do you do it with her as your teammate?” he laughed and I bit my tongue, “Thanks for finally bringing her.”

“Yeah, she kind of had to come; Coach wanted her here- I had nothing to do with it,” I said and he shrugged his shoulder, “Just back off a little.”

“What? Why?”

“She already has a boyfriend,” I informed him and he just looked at me.

“What? Is it you, man?” he laughed and I didn’t like how he said that, “She can do better than her own teammate.”

“Come on, Nealer,” I heard Matt say behind me, “Maggie’s looking for us.”

“Run along loverboy,” Watson laughed and shooed me and I glared towards him and felt Matt pulling me.

“Let it go, Jay,” Matt said and I sighed and nodded my head.

“Don’t tell Maggie,” I said and Matt nodded his head.

“There you are!” I heard and looked up to see Maggie smiling towards us, “You get lost?”

“Something like that,” I smirked and Maggie laughed.

“You have terrible direction, Nealer,” she laughed and I rolled my eyes and as I walked passed her, she jumped onto my back and I chuckled and just started to think about what Watson had said to me.

‘…She’s just a friend…’ I thought, but I didn’t know if I was trying to remind myself or stating a fact.