Love & Softball (Chapter 38)
Title: Love & Softball
Author: BrennaAimee
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Callie transfers to a new high school from one where she is a softball star. Can she prove she belongs on this new team and impress the captain in more ways than she knows.
Disclaimer: All television shows, books, movies, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work and the characters, events, and settings thereof are the properties of their respective owners. This is for entertainment purposes only, no profit is being made.
A/N: If you love Callie and Arizona and you want another place to read fics and meet great people, the Calzona Board is for you. If you want to read fics or sign up the website is calzonafans . aimoo . com just take out the spaces. We would love to have you; there is even a chat room to meet other fans. I am a mod at the site and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Hope to see you there!
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Cat, my voice. I hope you enjoy it, even if you hate me. <3 Still waiting on my song. . . . just saying lol.
This also is for Ashlye, who is always there for me. I love you soo much. You mean the world to me. =)
"That sounds much better than talking." I admit and she wraps her arm around my shoulders comforting me as we walk to get everyone and take them out back.
We gathered up all the girls, and Mark, and went outside to the equipment shed. We got three of the five gallon buckets of balls, four different bats, the pitching machine, and some old magazines to make bases out in the field.
"Might as well just ask your dad to turn it into a real field." Mark jokes.
"I think I am." I answer honestly. It was something Arizona and I had talked about when we were talking about the upcoming year and being co-captains.
We take all of the equipment to the field and set up. We end up having fifteen people here, so we decide to start off by letting the pitching machine do its thing. We all take turns batting, five hits a piece. Mark, myself, Raye, and Jamie all stand in the outfield as others take turns batting and retrieving balls. A few more girls and some of their friends show up and we end up with twenty players. We all start throwing the ball around and it turns out like a real practice, which seems weird because it is all routine. I didn't have to ask anyone to do anything. I know this years team is going to be amazing, just with us joking around and not even really practicing they are focused and driven and take the sport seriously. It's amazing that even when it is all fun in games you can easily observe the technique and time taken to work on each skill.
We separate everyone up into teams luckily we have enough players that are all arounds to fill in each position.
'I wish Arizona was here to see this.' I thought to myself and immediately regretted the thought. I felt a pain in my chest and a burning in my throat. I can't cry, I'm doing what I love and in all honesty the field and holding a glove, a bat, or a softball, has always been my safe spot. It has always been my escape. We flip a coin to see if my team or Raye's team is going to bat first.
"Heads" Raye calls as the coin flips out of Mark's hand. We all watch as the coin rotates in the air.
"Yes!" Mark cries out as it lands and he flips it onto the back of his other hand and peers down at it. "Me and mine get to bat first." He gloats as he pushes me and wraps his arm around Raye's shoulder walking off triumphantly.
"Just remember Mark, you are batting off my pitches." I declare and his strut decreases a bit as he realizes I can always strike him out.
I look around to my teammates and everyone knows what position I am playing so they mainly talk amongst themselves to pick out their own positions. Next thing I know feel everyone looking at me as I am zoning out. I look back at them and a few have blank expressions on their faces and a few others have a look of sadness. I turn to them because I have no idea what just happened.
"What?" I finally ask. They look around at each other and finally Jamie speaks up.
"Everyone wants to know who you want to hind catch for you." She looks down and kicks her foot around in the grass.
"Oh, umm . . . just pick someone. I'm going to have to train with someone so they know my moves anyways. I might as well start now."
"I can do it. I know most of your moves now, since we have been playing so much. Only if that is ok with you though. I know that spot is sore." She offers.
"Yeah, I trust you and I know you can handle it. Thanks J." I say as my team goes to take the field. I stand where all our equipment is and just stare for a minute. Jamie stands back with me and turns me around to her by my arms.
"Are you ok Cal?"
"Yeah . . " I let my sentence drop, I don't know what to say.
"Ok, we do have an extra person if you don't want to play today." She looks into my eyes and makes me look back. When she is satisfied with me not breaking down, she reaches up and places a kiss on my forehead and walks off to home plate.
I walk slowly to the pitcher's mound, luckily those were what my dad had actually put in and weren't magazines. I use to love this, especially when Arizona and I would practice because I felt like it was high-lighting me and her . . . her and I. No other position mattered it was just us and the field. The two things that mean the most to me, the game and her. I feel that same burning sensation rising in my throat. 'I am not going to cry.' I tell myself. Jamie squats down and nods for me that she is ready. The batter is still standing with her team sitting in the grass to the side to let me get my warm ups in. I prepare myself, get my grip, place the ball in hand in my glove, swing my arms down slapping the glove on my thigh, wind up, and pitch with everything I have. I hear the thunder-like sound associated with my ball being engulfed in Jamie's glove and there it is, my release. . . my escape.
We continue to play and I find myself lost in the sport. Every once in a while, something would stand out that would make me think of Arizona, like the way this one girl holds her bat, or the way another twists her foot when she bats instead of stepping into the pitch, but no one can put it all together, thankfully. I don't think I can handle that.
We got through the game and my team lost by one run because I made the mistake and tried to get cocky when Mark was up to bat with magazines loaded and we were up by three. Then at the bottom of the inning my team didn't score a single run. After the game was over and we put up our equipment and decide to go to pizza hut to hang out and talk.
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|3 Months Later|
I open my computer and go to check my email, and still to this day I check to see if Arizona has written me. I don't know why I do it, but I still love her. I have been through all the emotions about this even tried to be angry at her for weeks on weeks, but I couldn't do it. I'm still disappointed when I look into my email and don't see anything from her, but it's starting to get bearable. I still send her an email every once in a while, hoping I will get a reply, it is pathetic I know, yet I still just want her to know I still love her and care.
I go and look at my facebook and look at hers as well. I think she was on there a month ago and if she still gets on I don't know. I get lost looking at the pics she uploaded last month of her and some girls on her new team. The next picture I click on is her and another girl with dark blonde hair. I have to admit this girl is cute. It looked like they were at a party. She had her arm around Arizona's waist and Arizona was holding a drink in one hand, but the other around the girl and they were laughing really hard. Arizona's dimples were in full force.
To say that I felt a little mad was an understatement. Who was this girl who had her arms wrapped around MY Arizona? I guess technically she is not my Arizona anymore, but to me she always will be. All I can see is red. It doesn't say she has a girlfriend. She changed her status to single when I did and when she uploaded these pictures. Who knows though.
My phone starts ringing and right now, Id really rather just throw it. Even though I am working on getting over the tinge of disappointment I feel knowing she isn't going to write me back, it still hurts when I see her pictures and especially if she is looking this happy with someone else. I look down at the caller id and see Jamie's nickname pop up on my screen. I hit the call button and answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey, what's up?"
"Nothing getting off of facebook. What are you doing?"
"Thinking about going to the mall, you up for it?" She asks hopefully.
"Yeah sure, let me get dressed. Your car or mine?" Ever since Jamie got her new car she loved driving us around, and as much as we hung out, that was a lot of gas.
"Mine, as usual." She laughs, knowing what I was thinking. "Be there in thirty?"
"Ok, see you then."
I get up and get dressed. I straighten my hair, brush my teeth, and put on some light make up. I have enough time to gather my wallet and other stuff before my phone rings and Jamie is telling me she is here. I run downstairs give my parents hugs and kisses and run out the door to jump in her car. We blast music and head toward the mall, which is a forty five minute drive. about twenty minutes down the road Jamie turns down the music and looks at me.
"What?" I ask when I realizes she has a serious expression on her face.
"What's wrong?"
"What . . . What do you mean, what's wrong?" I laugh nervously.
"I may not have known you for that long, but I know you better than almost anyone else. What is bothering you?"
"Can we not talk about that right now?" I make eye contact with her and she meets my contact briefly before looking back at the road and turning up the music.
We get to the mall and go look around stopping in practically every store we pass. Jamie goes in and starts looking for a new outfit.
". . .and what is this new outfit for." I ask casually as she searches vigorously through the clothes racks.
"House party tonight, in the boat. Want to come? I was going to ask you earlier, but you were in a funk."
"Oh, I'll think about it." I respond and start looking through racks as well incase I do go. "Who's party is it?"
"Maddison's" She replies and throws a pair of jeans at me.
"Wha-why did you just throw these at me?"
"They will look great on you and they are your size." She responds. I put them up to my waist and examine them. Dark blue jeans, hip huggers, flare leg, cute design on the back pockets, yep I like them. I hold onto them and continue to look around for a top. I finally find a purple and grey striped sweater with a hood with a matching light grey lace camisole. Jamie finally finds what she wants and we go try on our outfits. We come out of our separate dressing rooms and check the others outfit and I have to admit the outfit she picked out looks hot. We both agree on what we are wearing and go to check out. We walk around the mall and grab some food at the food court. We get done eating and get milkshakes. We walk around for a while longer.
"Callie, is that you." I hear yelled from behind me. I turn around to find out who was yelling my name because the voice was vaguely familiar. I turn around and come face to face with Arizona's Aunt Shelly.
"Aunt Shelly" I exclaim, happy to see her since I haven't in so long. Arizona's family and I got along, but Aunt Shelly is so sweet and fun.
She wraps me into a tight hug and pulls away to look at me. "How are you sweetie?"
"I'm good, how are you?" I can't help but to return the huge smile she is giving me, it's kind of like Arizona's, in one word, contagious.
"Good, have you talked to that precious niece of mine?" With that one question she took my breath away. It felt like someone put there hand around my heart, pulled it out, and stomped on it. I keep my smile plastered on my face, it is just now the biggest fake smile I think I have ever used in my life.
"Yeah, I have." I lie. I don't want questions to be asked or anything, so lying seems like my best solution.
"That's great." She smiles "Can you tell her I said hi please? I haven't managed to get their new numbers yet."
'Yeah, me either.' I think to myself, but keep up my happy appearance. "Of course I'll tell her."
"Promise?" She challenges lifting up her eye brow and I let out a genuine laugh.
"Promise Aunt Shelly." She gives me a hug and turns back to the friend she was with and they walk into JC Penny. Jamie steps closer to me and looks at me in my eyes. She pulls my arm and drags me into the bathroom. She checks each stall and amazingly no one was in there. She latches the door and stands in front of me.
"Are you ok?"
I start to nod my head yes, but decide honesty was better. "No" I say as my eyes start to water up. She starts to hug me but I stop her. I suck it up and look at her. "Let's hit that party tonight." She looks into my eyes as if to ask if I was sure. I reassure her with my glance and she turns around to unlock the door and we walk back out into the mall. We look around for a while longer before I ask her to take me by my house.
We get to my house and I go to jump in the shower. When I get out I walk into my room and look for some clothes. Jamie just sits on the bed on my computer, my little ritual doesn't even faze her anymore. After I get my clothes on I ask her for the laptop and go to my email. I click compose a new message and type in Arizona's email address. Her Aunt told me to tell her she said hi. It's a legit excuse right?'AZ,'
I type, I quit calling her Arizona when she quit responding to my emails. It made me feel like I was just any other person to her, so I want to make her feel the same, no matter how childish it seems.
'Hey it's Callie. I ran into Aunt Shelly today & she wanted me 2 tell you hi. She said she hasn't got your new numbers yet, so she couldn't call. You might want to call her. She made me promise, so there it is. I'm getting ready to head over 2 my girl's house & go 2 a party tonight. I don't know why u would want 2 know, but I thought I would share. I miss my friend, & I hope everything is going well 4 u.
-Callie'I send the email and gather up my belongings, new out fit, make up, curler, and all to go to Jamie's.
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|Later that night|
|Arizona's P.O.V|
I grab my laptop and decide to check my email before heading over to Layla's house. I open it and see a new email from Calliope. I open it and read. 'AZ' I read and that really hurts. I loved her calling me Arizona when everyone else didn't. 'Hey it's Callie. I ran into Aunt Shelly today & she wanted me 2 tell you hi. She said she hasn't got your new numbers yet, so she couldn't call. You might want to call her. She made me promise, so there it is.' I pull out my phone and since it's about 8:30 pm I decide when I'm done with this email I will call Aunt Shelly. I have missed her so much. 'I'm getting ready to head over 2 my girl's house & go 2 a party tonight. I don't know why u would want 2 know, but I thought I would share.' Her girl? Ok, that hurts, she is right, why would I want to know that? Wait. . . she is moving on. That is what I wanted isn't it? It's what she should do. I'm going to be happy for her even when I don't want to be. ' I miss my friend, & I hope everything is going well 4 u. -Callie' I finish her email and start to tear up a bit. I decide it's time to write back. She is moving on and that is what I wanted, so it will be ok to write back now. I click to reply and start to compose my message. 'Callie :)
Thanks 4 telling me about Aunt Shelly, I really have missed her and I should have talked 2 her sooner. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you. I just wanted 2 give us time to get use 2 not being 2gether. I'm sorry that was the way I ended it, but I didn't know how else 2 do it. Ur girl ;) ? What is she like? Well I'm going 2 go 2 my friend Layla's house. I hope u have a good time @ ur party. Talk 2 u soon maybe if u want. I miss my friend too. -AZ' As much as it hurt, I click send and call my aunt, get no answer, and gather my things. I want to go forget about this. I get in the car and speed over to Layla's house making a twenty minute drive in eight minutes. Layla and her twin Kyle come out of the house and both give me a hug.
"Damn girl speed demon much?" Kyle jokes.
"Everyone is in the house we are waiting on you." Layla says. "We are going to the club tonight." She smiles triumphantly.
"How are all of you getting into the club? I am the only one old enough." I joke.
"Just because you turned eighteen last month doesn't mean you get to have all the fun." Layla winks at me and we start to walk toward the house. Everyone is inside except for the girl that has been flirting with me this past week, who is out front on the porch swing. I let Layla and Kyle walk inside and I go over and sit next to Lita.
Lita is truly beautiful. She is shorter than me, thick, beautiful curves, jet black hair, Indian, with light green eyes. She is really easy going and down to earth, which made it easy to flirt back with her. We sit side by side swinging back and forth for a while. I'm the same way with her that I have been with every girl except Calliope. I am confident and cocky, but it's endearing to see her so shy. After we sit there for a couple of minutes she finally does something I never thought she would have the guts to do. At least I didn't think she would have the guts to do it so subtly. She slid her hand across the swing and took my hand. I looked over at her and she looked into my eyes. My piercing blue met her piercing green.
"You look upset." She finally whispers into the night, and that was all that needed to be said. She sat there and held my hand for a few more minutes. She finally got up and pulled me inside with the rest of the crew. I will spend the rest of the night that we are together by her side, sometimes flirting, sometimes being quiet, sometimes dancing, but either way, it's like I have found a safe spot.
~~~~~~~~
|Callie's P.O.V|
We have been at this party for two hours and I have yet to leave Jamie's side. Even though we are flirting with so many different people. I am determined to forget what happened today. I don't want to think about Arizona, I don't want to think about lying to Aunt Shelly, I don't want to think about sending her that email and telling myself I did it for her aunt. I just want to forget. I have had a little to much to drink and all these girls are looking a little better than I ever want to admit. Jamie and I continue to dance with everyone. Girls and some guys are dragging us in so many different directions, it seems like everyone is wanting to dance with us. Jamie finally found someone she likes and tolls me she will be out in the back yard with some blonde.
I dance for three more songs and head out back to find Jamie, after I get this one girls number. Jamie is sitting out back on the steps with this girl laughing. I sit down beside her and loop my arm through hers. The blonde looks at me, but I just lay my head on her shoulder. Jamie looks down at me and laughs.
"Is the baby tired?" She teases and I give her a glare. "Brie, this is Callie my best friend. Callie, this is Brie." As soon as Jamie says the words 'best friend' the blonde quits giving me an evil look and plasters a smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you." I mumble.
"Nice to meet you too Callie."
"Are you ready to go?" Jamie finally asks after talking to Brie for a while.
"Yeah." I slur since the drinks are catching up to me. Brie stands up, kisses Jamie on the cheek, grabs Jamie's phone, puts her number in it, and walks back inside. Jamie stands up and grabs my hands to help me up. I stumble into her and she catches me. We walk back out to her car and get in.
"Are we staying at your place or mine?"
"Let'ssssstay at miness." I slur.
She pulls out of the yard and heads toward my house. We pull up into the driveway and I start to get out of the car, but I stumble and Jamie comes around to catch me. She walks me into the house and gets me into my room. She sits me on my bed and throws me some clothes and gets some for herself. She changes and sits down on the bed. I go to the bathroom, change, brush my teeth, and comb my hair. When I get back into the room Jamie goes and does the same. When she gets back I try to get up quickly because she walked past the light and I want to turn it off, luckily she was still standing between me and the other side of the room with the light switch. I get up too quickly and that mixed with drinking doesn't work. I get dizzy and stumble over. Jamie catches me and stands me back up. She is so use to taking care of me like this, its ridiculous.
I put my hands on her shoulders to steady myself. She laughs at me as usual and I'm still a little dizzy so I start to sway with out meaning to. Jamie is holding onto my ribs and holding me up. I close my eyes for a second and that makes it worse. I start to sway more, so I open my eyes and when I do I'm really close to Jamie's face. I look down at her lips and after everything. I figure what the hell. I grab the sides of her face and lean in to try to capture her lips. . .
A/N #3: I know you want to hate me right now, but look always remember MFEO <3