Lisa escorted Marlee to the pitcher’s circle at the top of the sixth inning. She said, “I am so proud of you. You pitched great against Susie last inning. I can’t believe you’ve struck her out twice now. And you, uh, haven’t taken off your hat yet.”
“I still don’t know if I’m gonna take off my hat, Lisa. I can’t figure out what I should do. But aren’t we supposed to be concentrating on softball? Like the fact that your mitt is called a mitt because it has no finger slots, like a mitten. And my glove has finger slots, like, uh, a glove. And, hey, this is my circle. Take your big fat mitten and get out of here.” She banished Lisa toward home plate.
“I’m going. I’m going,” Lisa jogged back waving her mitt over her head.
The bottom of the East Valley order was due up and Marlee figured she could strike out at least two of the batters. Lisa mixed things up a bit and called for a variety of pitches including the new screwball they had been working on. And Marlee did better than strike out two East Valley batters, she struck out all three to end the top of the sixth inning.
Marlee, adrenaline pumping, ran to her team bench after the third strikeout, but found that no one would make eye contact with her. She asked Jeri what was going on. Jeri didn’t answer but simply pointed toward the on-deck circle and stated coolly, “I believe you’re on deck.”
Confused, Marlee grabbed her batting helmet and bat. She took a couple of practice swings and wondered what was going on. Could they be mad at me for not taking off my hat for Susie? With a start she felt the blood rise to her face. Does the whole team know? She felt light-headed. With her head so much into the game, she hadn’t been able to make a rational decision about Susie.
Lisa took her practice swings in the on-deck circle to get ready to lead off the inning.
Marlee joined her in the circle and whispered, “Does the whole team know about me? Me and Susie?”
“What are you talking about?” Lisa asked.
“Batter?” the umpire called for Lisa.
Marlee said hurriedly, “No one’s looking at me or even talking to me.”
“Geez, Marlee, you are so slow. And I shouldn’t even say it, but you sound paranoid. You have a perfect game going, dorkhead. And you know as well as I do it’s a jinx to talk to a pitcher who’s on her way to a perfect game.” Lisa marched toward the plate. “Yeah, it’s brain damage all right,” she said to no one in particular.
Marlee sighed in relief, for about three seconds. That’s when Lisa’s words penetrated. A perfect game? Oh, my God. I have one inning to go. Marlee felt her insides tremble. She looked over at her mother in the stands and felt momentary comfort. She wished her father could have been there, though. A new lump rose in her throat to replace the old one. Does Susie know? Marlee snuck a peek to left field. Susie smiled at her expectantly. Marlee looked away quickly. She had been so wrapped up with the game and with Susie and with Christy that she hadn’t realized that not a single East Valley batter had made it on base.
Lisa walked again. Marlee got up to bat and smacked the first pitch just out of Sam’s reach for a basehit. Marlee watched Sam say something to Lisa on second base. Lisa smiled, but quickly squelched it as if trying to keep her head in the game. From first base Marlee wagged her finger at Lisa who in turn stuck her tongue out at Marlee. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the next two batters fell victim to Christy Loveland pitching and struck out while the last Cougar batter of the inning popped up to Sam at second base. The sixth inning was over and the Cougars still held the lead by a score of 5-0.
The Cougars took the field at the top of the seventh, and potentially last, inning. Marlee had two things on her mind, getting the next three batters out to get her perfect game and making a decision about Susie. She took several deep breaths in a valiant attempt to keep from hyperventilating.
“Just you and me, Marlee,” Lisa reminded.
The first batter hit a sharp grounder to Marlee. She forced herself to slowly and carefully throw the ball to Julie, the first baseman. One out.
“Nice,” Lisa called from behind the plate. “One pitch, one out. Just you and me, one more time.”
This time it took three pitches. The East Valley batter swung and missed the first two pitches, but didn’t even bother swinging at the third. Strike three. Two outs.
Sam stepped up to the plate for the East Valley team.
Lisa called, “One more, #3. Just you and me.”
Marlee realized that it must be just as hard for Lisa to ignore Sam as it was for her to ignore Susie. Marlee had been doing a fairly good job ignoring Susie all day, but decided to risk a quick peek at Susie in the on-deck circle. Marlee’s heart leaped when she saw how ashen Susie looked. She remembered the card. I’ve been miserable without you. Marlee took a deep breath and wrapped her fingers tightly around the ball. You’re miserable because you dumped me. Whose fault is that? Marlee adjusted her grip when Lisa requested a fastball. She put both hands together for the pitch but then did something that even surprised her. She stepped back off the pitching rubber.
Sam stepped out of the batter’s box and the umpire shouted, “Time.” Lisa looked bewildered and stood up from behind the plate.
Marlee’s mind and heart had finally worked out an agreement over Susie. She hoped she could live with the decision. She took a deep cleansing breath and felt ready to finish this perfect game thing.
“Okay, Marlee.” Lisa squatted behind the plate. “Just you and me.”
Marlee shocked everyone, including herself, when she pitched Sam to a full count. If she threw a ball on the next pitch, Sam would walk and Marlee’s perfect game would be lost. If she threw a meatball for a strike and Sam got a basehit, the perfect game would also be lost.
Marlee focused on Lisa. Lisa wanted a straight fastball right down the middle of the plate. A meatball. As the pitch left her hand she thought, at least I’m not going to walk her. Sam swung and made contact, good contact. At the sound of the ball striking the bat, Marlee’s heart sank to her toes. She just knew it would fall in for a basehit. As if to confirm her suspicions, she heard a collective groan from the Clarksonville fans. Time stood still while she watched the ball sail toward the gap in right-center field. It was going to fall in between Jeri and the Cougar right fielder.
Marlee watched Sam round first base and head toward second while Jeri sprinted toward the ball. Jeri’s never gonna make it. Everyone, Cougars and Panthers alike, gasped when Jeri D’Amico took a running leap into the air with her glove extended.
“She caught it. She caught it!” someone yelled.
Jeri lay face down in the grass holding her glove and the ball high in the air so the umpire could see it.
“Yes, she did. She got it. The batter is out!” the umpire yelled with hearty enthusiasm. “That’s the game.”
Marlee threw her glove high in the air. She had her perfect game. The Clarksonville Cougars had their championship. Lisa ran up and wrapped Marlee in another bear hug. The infielders joined the celebration in the pitcher’s circle, and then collectively stormed Jeri in the outfield.
As the revelry continued, Marlee turned to find Susie sitting on the visitors’ bench alone. Her Panther teammates, including Sam, packed up their stuff around her. Susie just sat on the bench watching the Clarksonville team celebrate. But, Marlee quickly realized, Susie wasn’t watching the team. Susie was watching her. Marlee melted inside, but stayed strong. She hoped she had made the right decision.
“Got something for you.” Marlee jumped when Jeri appeared at her side.
Marlee tore her gaze away from Susie. “You scared me.” She looked down to see Jeri holding her glove open with the game-winning ball displayed. Marlee turned and smiled at her friend who was grinning from ear-to-ear. Marlee took the ball and said, “You are awesome, Jeri.”
“No, you are awesome, Marlee.”
“No, you.”
“No—”
“Shut up, both of you,” Lisa said sidling up to Marlee. “You’re both awesome
. But, Marlee, you still have that decision to make, don’t you?” She looked over in Susie’s direction.
“Yeah,” Jeri chimed in, “that decision, Marlee.”
The smile drained away from Marlee’s face. She looked from one friend to the other and said quietly, “No, I made my decision.”
“Oh, okay.” Lisa shrugged, clearly disappointed, and turned away.
“I decided to do this.” Marlee yanked off her hat and nodded her head rapidly like her Mr. Met bobble head.
Susie leaped to her feet. Lisa and Jeri cheered their approval.
When Marlee had seen how dejected Susie looked in the ondeck circle, she finally realized that she, too, had been positively miserable. Susie had rejected her, that much was true, but Susie had also made her feel things she had never felt before. Marlee knew that her world had been infinitely brighter with Susie in it. She smiled, pleased with her decision, and waved at Susie.
Susie waved back and smiled with a look of utter relief on her face. She put a hand over her heart and mouthed the words, “Thank you.” Susie stepped back and stumbled against the bench. She sat down hard. Susie’s head went down as if she were praying quietly.
Marlee sprinted over and sat down next to Susie hip to hip, thigh to thigh. Marlee’s heart lurched when she saw Susie’s red-rimmed eyes. She wrapped Susie in a quick hug and didn’t care who saw them.
Susie looked up at Marlee, tears falling down her cheeks, and said, “Dios. I was such a jerk to let you go. I prayed and prayed you would give me a second chance. Marlee, I never should have left you.”
“You really hurt me.”
“Aay, mi vida. I know. Believe me, I know. I’m sorry. I was so confused. Did you read my letter?”
Marlee nodded.
“Then I hope you understand that I was trying to do the right thing.” Susie rested her head on Marlee’s shoulder. “And when I finally realized, as slow as I am, that I really loved you I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get in the way.” She picked her head up, a look of hope in her eyes. “I love you, Marlee.”
Marlee whispered back, “I love you, too.” She took Susie’s hand. “Why don’t we just start over, okay?”
Susie nodded and squeezed Marlee’s hand.
THE END
About the Author
Barbara L. Clanton is a native New Yorker who left those "New York minutes" for the slower-paced palm-tree-filled life in Orlando, Florida. She currently teaches mathematics at a college preparatory school in the Orlando area. When she's not teaching, playing softball, tiling her floors, or evicting possums from the engine block of her RV, "Dr. Barb" plays bass guitar in a local band called The Flounders with her partner who plays the drums. Her ultimate dream is to one day snowbird between upstate New York and central Florida.
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Table of Contents
Out of Left Field: Marlee's Story
Copyright © 2008 by Barbara L. Clanton
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
About the Author
More Barbara L. Clanton Titles
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Out of Left Field: Marlee's Story Page 18
