For the Love of the Game

They were going to call this the game of the century, no doubt about that. Everything that could happen in baseball had happened in this game tonight and it seemed like it was nowhere near over. There had been home runs, stolen bases, players and a coach ejected from the game, injuries, arguments with the umpires, amazing plays and everything in between. As if all of that wasn’t enough, the game was now in the bottom of the fifteenth inning. My nerves were shot to say the very least. Both of these teams were exhausted and the only way either team had a chance at winning was if the other team cracked first. I was just hoping and praying that wasn’t my dad’s team, the Texas Rangers. It was way too early in the season for the games to be this intense.

My dad’s four best friends, or brothers practically, had flown in from California to watch the game and grab me so I could spend a couple of weeks with them on their final music tour. These four guys that went by the band name of Motley Crue, were the only family that I had ever known in my seventeen years of life, and I had to say that I had no idea how my dad had gotten tied up with a bunch of misfits like Motley Crue, but I was so glad that he had. I couldn’t imagine my life without these guys although right now it was if they didn’t exist or weren’t sitting right beside me. They knew when to talk to me and when to keep quiet during a baseball game.

I rose to my feet as my dad took the plate, his number 81 visible to us as he had his back to us. He had chosen the number 81 when he entered the league because that was the year Motley Crue had started up. He took the plate and adjusted his batting gloves and his helmet. He gave the bat a few practice swings and took a deep breath. The game had been tied since the fifth inning and all it would take to win it was one run. Dad took a look to the outfield, dug his cleats into the ground and raised the bat above his shoulder. My dad gave his all every time he played a game, but sometimes in situations like this he managed to somehow dig a little deeper when he least expected it and pull something awesome out of thin air. That was about to happen. I knew because I was just like him and did the very same thing when I played softball.

“It’s over.” I spoke, breaking the silence.

“What? How do you know?” Vince asked

“She’s right.” Nikki told him.

And right I was. On the very first pitch Dad swung and connected with the ball so hard that it sounded like someone had fired a gun from within the stadium. The ball sailed high through the infield and sent the outfielders on an unnecessary sprint to the outfield wall. They could have tried all they wanted but no one was going to catch that ball. It cleared the outfield wall by a mile causing the stands to erupt in an enormous roar and the game was over.

“Holy shit!” Tommy said as the guys celebrated.

“That’s my dad!” I smiled.

“Like daughter like father.” Mick smiled

“Damn right. I taught him everything he knows.”

The guys and I left the box suite we had been watching the game from and made our way down onto the field. My dad was surrounded by reporters and I took the perfect opportunity to interrupt his interview by running at him and jumping on him. He somehow managed to keep his balance and finish out his interview as the reporters finally gave him some space.

“Hey baby!” He said as he swung me around.

“It took you freaking long enough to decide to hit the ball!”

“Hey, I’m surprised I managed that.”

I let him go as the guys circled around waiting for their chance to hug him and congratulate him. Tommy got his hug in first and came up behind me putting me in a chokehold. We were always wrestling around in some kind of way and though he took it somewhat easy on me because I was a girl, very seldom did I ever take it easy on him. Our play battles could get pretty intense sometimes leading to sore muscles and cuts and scrapes but it was all in good fun. I took my elbow and drove it lightly into his stomach, right above his most prized possession. He let go of me real quick.

“That was a cheap blow, little fucker.”

“I didn’t think so. You could have done the same to me and I would have been fine.” I smirked.

“Yeah, because you don’t have a dick.”

“Alright you two.” Dad said, breaking us up. “Collins, do you have all of your stuff with you?”

“Yeah, it’s in your truck.”

“Okay. Well, you be careful with that shoulder and if you aggravate in any way, ice it, you hear me? Guys, you have to watch on her that. We are trying to put off this surgery until after her senior season.”

“Dad, I’ll be okay.”

“We’ll take good care of her.” Nikki assured Dad.

“Alright. Well, I’m going to go shower up and get ready to fly out of here in the morning. You know how to act and don’t drink too much.”

“Dad, go get a shower. I’ll call you tomorrow okay?”

“Alright. Have fun and I love you! I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

We followed Dad back towards the locker room but went out to the parking lot instead. I grabbed all of my stuff out of his truck and piled it into the back of the stretch limo that was waiting on us. I was excited about spending the time with the guys because it was always a wild time full of all kind of pranks and shenanigans. I didn’t have very many friends because I wasn’t into the partying scene and all of that, but when I got around my four member dysfunctional family, all hell broke loose.

“You wanna start the night off right?” Tommy asked, offering me a beer as we started toward the airport.

“Nah, not tonight. I took some medicine earlier because my shoulder was hurting. I keep hoping I can work out whatever the issue is, but I’m starting to give up on that.”

“Hey, don’t push it. You better save it for your upcoming softball season and then get it taken care of.” Mick advised.

“I know, I know.”

We arrived at the airport and boarded the charter jet that the guys were traveling on and headed out to California where the guys were scheduled to start their final tour in a week. When we landed in Los Angeles Nikki, Tommy, and I got into a black suburban while Vince and Mick went their separate ways for the time being. Tommy was crashing at Nikki’s house for a little while, more than likely to keep me annoyed but I was ready for him.

“Collins, I’m sorry but I didn’t get a chance to get my equipment out of your room. It’s been a while since you’ve been to the house and not on the bus.” Nikki said as we arrived at his house.

“Fuck yeah! That means we get to share the huge couch tonight! I love having a cuddle buddy!” Tommy said.

“God help me. Tommy I swear if you so much as even think about farting on me or farting under the blankets and then waving them around I will beat the ever living shit out of you.”

He wrapped his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “I like it when you’re feisty.”

“Keep talking.”

I got my stuff inside and took a quick shower, putting on a black sports bra and some sleep shorts. Some people may have found it weird some of the ways I acted and the things I did around the guys, but all of these guys were like four other dads(or big brother in the case of Tommy) to me and with me growing up with nothing but men around me, I finally decided that I was going to be comfortable and they would just have to deal with it. Dad got over it pretty quickly, but the guys took a little longer warming up to me walking around half naked.

“I got a text from your dad, so I’m just following orders.” Nikki caught me as I came downstairs and he handed me a cold ice pack.

I groaned. “He’s killing me. I’m the one that has to deal with the pain, not him.”

“That’s true, but you also have half of the colleges in the country looking at you, too. If you mess it up too bad, all that goes out the window and I know how important playing softball is to you. And it’s important to us, too, because we like watching.”

“Why do you always have to be right?”

“Because I’m awesome.” He smiled.

I sat down on the couch beside Tommy who was sitting there in some basketball shorts watching tv. Nikki put the ice pack on my shoulder and wrapped it up good with an ace bandage and I got settled to go to sleep.

“Well, at least if you have ice on your shoulder that might keep Tommy from cuddling with you.” Nikki pointed out.

“That’s true.”

“Ice doesn’t bother me.” Tommy said

“Well, good luck tonight, Olli. I’m heading to bed. If you need something you know where I sleep.”

“If you feel someone get in the bed with you, don’t freak out, it’s just me.” I said, giving Tommy a look.

“I wouldn’t be so quick to do that, ya know. He sleeps naked.” Tommy said

“Well, shit.” I sighed. “Wait, how the hell do you know he sleeps naked? You know what? I don’t even want to know. Forget I even asked.”

“Good response.” Tommy smirked.

Nikki went to bed, leaving me to fend for myself with Tommy, but when it came down to it, Tommy was an awesome, sweet guy to be around and he got quiet so that I could sleep. I had been picking with Tommy about not wanting him to cuddle with me, but the truth was, I was a big cuddle person myself. I always either snuggled with some stuffed animals, pillows, or my black lab, Motley. I moved over next to Tommy and cuddled right up against him. Like the awesome big brother that he was to me, he wrapped his arm around me as he continued watching tv and I slept like a baby. Little did I know, it would be my last good night’s sleep for a long time.