On the Field

Once upon a time, as all good stories begin, there was a girl named Alondra. Nowadays, Alondra is twenty-seven and has a loving profession of occupational therapy. If you don’t know what that is, search it up.

Back when she was a teenager, specifically thirteen years of age, her favorite thing to do was play her saxophone. She could play any saxophone. Alto, soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, soprillo, and so on. Every birthday and Christmas, Alondra would get a saxophone. She was a wizard at saxophone playing.

Her second favorite thing as a child was softball. After school each day she would take a softball and bat out into the yard and practice with herself. She would do sprints down her driveway six days a week every week.

Alondra would practice softball on a sunny day and play her saxophones on rainy days. Her schedule was like clockwork. One could assume what Alondra was doing at the moment based on time and weather! She didn’t have much time for sleepovers or movies during softball season. Thank goodness nobody’s birthdays were at that time of year!

It was the first day of her eighth grade softball season and Alondra was prepared. She had done far too many sprints to be called “sufficient” and done far too many practice drills and hits to be labeled “adequate” for the season.

Alondra was wearing grey sweats and a baby blue oversized crop top. Her hot pink cleats were on her feet and her police sunglasses were perched upon her head. Her curly, platinum blonde hair was in a high bun and her wispy bangs swayed with the wind. Her yellow and blue bat was leaning on her shoulder, and her deep brown glove was already placed on her hand. Her hands’ sweat glands were raining out like waterfalls. Alondra’s helmet was in the crook of her arm. Her sea green eyes had the look of: “I’m going to destroy anyone who tries to compete with my skills”.

Alondra walked out to the softball field for practice. Once everyone from every softball team was huddled in circle in front of the head coach, whose name was Caren. She announced, “Based on last year’s performance, I have the teams all made out on these papers.” Caren displayed the teams out on the ground. Alondra walked to the best team thinking she would be on it, because last year she had hit fourteen home runs. That is twelve more than anyone else.

Alondra skimmed over the best team sheet. Her name was not on it. She looked at the next sheet and the next sheet and the next and the next. Alondra now knew she was on the worst-est team, for there were only six teams and she had gone through the first five. Just to make sure, she glanced at the bad team. Just at the bottom of the page, was whose name? Alondra’s. Head Coach Caren had labeled Alondra Jackson to be the worst on the team.

Now, you would think that Alondra would give up, but no, no. She was going to prove her head coach wrong.

The teams then went to their designated softball field, giving the sixth team the worst field. It was all uneven grass. They had little construction cones for bases. Their coach, Cammi, grouped all ten of them into a huddle. Cammi reminded them that they could still move up during the season. Cammi used to be a professional softball player until she tore her meniscus. Cammi then decided to become a softball coach to make others just as good as she was (whenever she said this she was inconspicuously talking about Alondra).

The ten girls all then did their warm ups and found a partner to throw to each other. Then Cammi put each girl in a different position. Since there are only nine possible positions, Cammi put in two center fielders. One closer to the left field, and one closer to the right field. Alondra got placed a the pitcher's mound. Cammi always said that Alondra was a varsity pitcher, but she never got moved up.

Cammi hit balls to certain areas in the field and would sometimes switch around the players. Alondra’s team practiced fielding the rest of the practice.

On her way back to the school, Alondra overheard a familiar voice talking about how he was going to go watch the sixth team’s game and see how bad their pitcher was. Alondra then realized it was Cadel. (Yes, I know what you’re thinking. “Why are there so many C names?” I don’t know, but the school is called Ce School.) Alondra was about to prove Cadel wrong.

From then on, after practice each day, Alondra would make her brother, Roman, be a catcher and she would pitch to him. She had to pay him in Starbucks visits, though. The day before Alondra’s first game, she heard Roman telling Mom that he thought that Alondra was going to destroy those Kanton Kittens with her pitches. That made her burst with joy. She might prove Cadel wrong after all!

Game day came along before Alondra could say “softball”. She was excited, though. She had practiced pitching so much she could almost tell the muscle difference between each arm!

Alondra got to the game against the Kittens and almost threw up. She saw Cadel sitting there with a smirk on his dumb face watching her eight teammates (one of the center fielders was sick) warm up. Alondra wanted to just walk over there and punch Cadel in the face. She resisted, though, and warmed up with her friends. Cammi had told Alondra that when she was warming up with pitching to pretend to be really bad at the sport. Alondra agreed, but as she was warming up she could tell Cadel was smuggling a laugh. A whistle blew and the game began.

Alondra’s team was home so they played field first. Alondra walked slowly up to the pitcher’s mound, breathing calmly. The umpire called out, “Batter up,” and the game began. She could see the batter smirking wildly. Alondra was about to prove that girl wrong. Alondra started the wound up and threw the ball. The crowd went silent.

Alondra had just thrown the ball at ninety-six miles per hour and a perfect strike. The batter's smirk disappeared. Cadel stood up from the bench. The ump finally managed, "Strike!"

Suddenly everyone on Alondra’s team cheered. The Kanton Kittens were speechless. Some were mad. Alondra looked over at Cadel. He was clapping like a mad man!

Alondra only threw strikes that day. At the end of the game, the score was 20-2, Alondra’s team in the lead. They had won!

Alondra started to walk back to the school to get picked up by Roman. She heard someone running behind her. Alondra turned to see who it was. Cadel. Alondra slowed her pace so he could catch up. Once he did, she went back to her original speed. Cadel caught his breath, and after a moment, he said, “You are an amazing pitcher! Why aren’t you on a better team? Why aren’t you on the first team?”

Alondra shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“You could ask to get moved up.”

Alondra’s ears reddened. She hadn’t though of that. “I could,” she responded.

After a moment he asked, “You’re… Alondra, right?”

Alondra turned to look at Cadel. Somewhere in her heart, she felt something for him. She couldn’t tell what. Alondra confirmed his accusation. Cadel smiled and walked away. Once his back was turned, Alondra pivoted to look at him. His brown, curly hair swayed in the wind. His tanned skin shone in the sunlight. She knew he had dark green eyes. Cadel was strong-looking and tall.

Alondra turned and walked quickly to the front of the school. Roman was waiting in his white Jeep. She got in the car and they drove off.

The next five games in Alondra’s eighth grade softball season were victorious. Alondra had noticed that Cadel came to each one. She also noticed that all his sisters were either on a better team or not even in the sport. Some things in life don’t make sense.

On her sixth game, Alondra’s team was up against the Sandertonville Racers. They were pretty good. Alondra was obviously going to pitch, but it wasn’t a home game, so her team batted first. Alondra was the fourth one up to bat, and hit two home runs and two double base hits. On her fourth time up to bat, she had come to a conclusion. Cadel only payed attention when Alondra was up to bat or pitching. Interesting.

It was a new pitcher. Alondra looked at the home plate and adjusted her feet placing. She heard a gasp explode from the crowd. Alondra then looked over at the pitcher, and a neon ball was speeding straight at her head!

One would think Alondra would duck or dodge. Neither of those things happened in that 3.7945 seconds. I will tell you what really happened.

Alondra’s instincts kicked in and she squeezed her eyes shut and shot out her hand. A firing pain spiked down her arm and to her shoulder. The crowd simultaneously relaxed. Well, until they realized what had truly happened. Alondra had caught the eighty-seven miles an hour softball that was flying straight at her head.

Alondra got to take a base, but all Alondra wanted was for the game to end. Who wouldn’t? She felt as if she had broken her hand. Yet Alondra powered through the rest of the game, batting and pitching. It hurt the worst whenever she had to catch the ball.

Finally the game ended with a win. Cammi drove Alondra to the doctor, for Roman had a double header baseball game two hours away.

After getting asked questions and X-rays done and waiting fourty-three minutes, the results finally came in. Alondra had broken both her carpus and metacarpus. The doctor the wrapped Alondra’s hand in a pine green cast and said that Alondra wouldn’t be able to play softball the rest of the season.

Once the word got out that Alondra couldn’t play softball anymore, the sixth team gave up hope of their winning streak. Of course, Alondra’s team did not win any more games, they still found happiness in the sport. Alondra became the assistant coach to Cammi, and their team actually did improve, surprisingly.

Cadel still came to all of Alondra’s games, even though she didn’t play.

After one game, the tenth, to be precise, Alondra was walking back to the school to get her backpack out from her gym locker and to get picked up by Roman. The unnatural thing that happened, though, was that once again, Alondra heard someone running to catch up with her. She turned to see Cadel. Alondra slowed her pace. Cadel caught up and said, “Great coaching.”

“Thanks,” Alondra replied and walked slightly faster. Cadel likewise.

“Umm, I was just wondering if you.. you know… like wanted to… go watch Cruella live action with me tomorrow,” Cadel finally managed.

Alondra looked at Cadel. He was looking at his feet. “We don’t have practice tomorrow, so… sure.”

Cadel locked eyes with Alondra.

The next day, Roman dropped off Alondra at the movie theater (the bargain was, “bring me to the movie theater, no questions, and I will buy you a chai from Starbucks”). Alondra went inside and seemed out Cadel. They bought popcorn, drinks, and tickets for the Cruella movie.

It was a great movie, and I think Alondra liked it. Cadel too. But I think their favorite part was during the credits.

Cadel and Alondra had exchanged phone numbers before the movie, but know the credits were rolling. Alondra looked at Cadel, Cadel looked at Alondra. They both say the other one kissed him/her first, but I know the truth. They both kissed each other at the same time.