Graham's breath caught in her throat causing her to start coughing. She parked at the curb in front of the dorm building and was more than happy to see the freshmen depart her vehicle. She quickly drove away once they were inside the building.
Chapter 3
Sunday morning Graham and Dashtin walked into practice a few minutes early. They were both wearing the blue and black colored team warm-ups like everyone else in the room. There was still snow on the ground which meant they would be using the indoor facilities for the day's practice. Graham took a seat next to Whitney who was visibly nursing a hangover. She bumped shoulders with her and shook her head. Dashtin also had a hangover, but Graham was probably the only one that noticed.
"Good morning, ladies," Coach Walker said loudly as she entered the room. "Let's split up into groups and hit the batting cages since the snow's not going to give us a break today."
Coach Parker pulled Graham, the back-up catcher, and the three pitchers aside and led them over to the pitching cages which were around the corner from the batting cages and separated by a wall.
"Pair off. Graham you work with Bailey," she said.
Graham nodded and went to work putting on her catcher's gear. She wasn't taking any chances. When she was ready Graham took her position at the halfway point between the mound and home plate so she could toss the ball back and forth with Bailey while she slowly loosened her arm. She adjusted her position further back as the young pitcher got warmer.
Graham caught the ball and walked towards Bailey. "Has Coach Parker gone over the hand signals with you?"
"No."
"I call the games from the plate so you need to watch me. I'll email you the signals so you can learn them. For now, I'll just call the pitches out," Graham said. She walked to the plate and waited for Bailey to settle in at the pitching rubber before squatting in her catching position.
"Let's start with a rise ball," Graham yelled down to her.
Bailey released a wild pitch that Graham had to dive for. After the fifth or sixth time she had to dive for the ball Graham called another pitch, then another until they'd gone through all of the pitches. Well over fifty-percent of the pitches Bailey threw were wild. Graham was literally worn out when she stood up and walked over to Bailey.
"Are you nervous?" she asked.
"No," Bailey said casually.
"What's with all of the wild balls?"
"I'm an aggressive pitcher."
"Aggressive pitching and wild crazy pitching are two totally different things," Graham said.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," Bailey countered.
"You can't go into a game throwing the ball like that. You need to get some control."
"What's going on?" Coach Parker asked walking up to them. The student coach Helena Mendez was with her.
"Ask your star pitcher here," Graham growled.
Bailey crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't like the way I pitch."
"You throw wild crazy balls all over the damn place. How am I supposed to catch them?" Graham said.
Bailey shrugged.
"Okay, okay. Calm down. Graham you need to work with her on ball control. You two need to be in sync and know each other's moves before they're made. Starting tomorrow I want you both in here alone an hour a day. Put your schedules together and figure it out. Work on one pitch and catch at a time until you get it right. I'll check in with you mid-week," Coach Parker said.
"Are you kidding me?" Graham said taking off her catching gear.
"No, I'm not kidding you. She's the starting pitcher for this season and you're the catcher so the two of you have got to learn to work together. Spend some time off the field and get to know each other and maybe you won't be so hostile towards each other."
"I didn't do anything," Bailey said.
"I saw some of those pitches and Assistant Coach Mendez watched your session. She pointed out the aggression between you two. Graham knows what she's talking about. Listen to her," Coach Parker said. "Both of you need to go hit the batting cages for a half hour, then you can go. Maybe that'll help you work off some of the negative energy between you."
Graham tossed her gear to the side and jogged over to the empty batting cages. The rest of the team had been dismissed for the day. Bailey followed choosing the cage next to hers. Since she was left-handed and Bailey was right this meant they'd be facing each other.
"It'll get better," Helena said to her.
"Yeah, you think she's so great you try catching her pitches," Graham growled.
"I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about you."
Graham ignored her and stepped back taking the first pitch. She settled back in the box swinging with everything she had at the second ball. The crack of the bat was so loud Bailey stepped over the plate and was just about hit by the pitch coming at her. Graham focused all of her anger hitting pitch after pitch until she was too tired to hold the bat.
Coach Parker stood to the side watching them. If they could just learn to contain the fire burning between them they'd be an unstoppable combo. She couldn't blame Graham for being mad. Bailey was one of the best high school pitchers in the country based on her record, but she was a wild pitcher, something catchers hated.
"Alright, let's call it a day, ladies. And so there's no hard feelings Graham I'd like you to give Bailey a ride home."
Graham bit her tongue, gritted her teeth, and nodded. "Come on, I don't have all day," she said to Bailey as soon as the coach was out of earshot.
"I didn't ask you to drive me anywhere," Bailey said rushing to keep up with the taller woman.
"I didn't say you did."
"I have a car," Bailey said climbing into the Jeep.
"Then why aren't you driving it?"
"When I was home for the holidays my little brother borrowed it and wrecked it. He's only sixteen."
"Sounds like you don't have one anymore."
"You don't like me much do you?" Bailey asked.
Graham slammed on the brakes a little hard and pulled into a parking space at the East Dorm building.
"Bailey, I never said I didn't like you. What I don't like is cocky, know-it-all freshmen and wild pitchers. You're turning out to be all three."
Bailey shrugged and got out. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. What time are we meeting?"
"I'm free in the afternoons this week. I can meet you at two. Does that work for you?"
"See you at two then," Bailey said shutting the door.
~
"What happened to you?" Dashtin asked when Graham walked in. She was laying on the couch watching TV while tossing M&M's into the air and catching them in her mouth.
"You're going to choke doing that," Graham said walking by her. She went down the hall to her room and stripped to go take a shower.
"When Coach Walker let us go I checked on you and you guys were still hard at it. Coach Parker must've had her panties in a bunch," Dashtin said from the bathroom doorway.
Graham was already standing under the spray willing the hot water to wash away the miserable practice.
"It's that new pitcher. She's wild and uncontrollable. My everything hurts from chasing ball after ball. Coach Parker seems to think I can get her in line. We have daily practice sessions on our own starting tomorrow."
"That sucks. Why doesn't Coach Parker put her in her place?"
"No shit. I don't know. She's relying on me to get her in line and to make matters worse Bailey doesn't think she's doing anything wrong. I just want to smack her."
"I'm sure she wants to do a lot more than smack you," Dashtin said still tossing up and catching the candy in her mouth.
Graham stuck her soapy head out of the curtain. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you seen the way she looks at you?"
"Oh please, you think everyone is lusting after everyone." Graham shook her head and closed the curtain.
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you when she jumps your body at one of th
ese secret practices."
"Dash, she's just a kid."
"She's eighteen or nineteen. That's legal the last time I checked."
"Then you go after her. The last thing I want is to sleep with her. At this point I will be doing good to get through this week without choking her," Graham growled. "Can I please wash my ass in peace? I'm tired, hungry, and pissed at the moment. I don't need you harassing me."
"Excuse me, your highness." Dashtin closed the door and went back to the couch.
Chapter 4
Graham was in the gym using the rowing machine wearing only a sports bra and her gym shorts when Bailey arrived. She watched the sweaty muscles in Graham's back move with every stroke of the machine. She waited, quietly watching until Graham was finished. Graham turned around and was surprised to see her standing there and Bailey was surprised to see the nicely sculpted body in front of her. Graham wasn't as flat-chested as she appeared to be with her workout uniform on. She had a nice, small handful of perky round breasts bunched together under her sports bra.
"I didn't hear you come in," Graham said wiping the sweat from her face with a towel.
"You looked determined so I didn't want to interrupt you."
"It's easy to get lost in yourself on that machine." Graham put her t-shirt on and walked from the gym to the catching cages with Bailey following her. Her catching equipment was already there so she began putting it on.
"I got the email you sent with the hand signals."
"Good. You will need to learn them as quick as possible."
"I know them."
Graham stopped what she was doing and looked over at Bailey. "You memorized it in one day?"
"It's only four signals for the pitches and then the direction."
"Alright," Graham shrugged. "Let's work on one pitch each day and see how that goes."
"You're the expert."
"Screwball today," Graham yelled taking her position behind the plate.
The first pitch was wild and Graham fell back on her butt trying to get to it. The next few pitches weren't as bad. When Bailey was on she was a hell of a pitcher, but when she was off she was on the other side of the map. For every dozen of great pitches she threw three or four wild ones. At the end of the hour Graham was ready for the practice to be over with. Her body hurt from stretching at odd angles.
"Better than yesterday," Graham said when they met in the middle. "Tomorrow we'll work on the drop ball. On Friday we will pull it all together and see what we have."
"Fine."
"Bailey, I'm not picking on you. You're a really good pitcher, but we have to get these wild pitches under control."
"I've never had my pitching critiqued and I don't really care for it."
"This is NCAA Division I softball. If you want to be the starting pitcher you'll learn to control your pitches and listen to me. Otherwise, you'll be sitting on the bench watching the game like a spectator," Graham said.
"I don't need you telling me what to do. That's why we have a pitching coach."
Graham picked up her gear and turned to walk away. "Do you need a ride?"
"Nope," Bailey growled walking in the opposite direction.
Graham shrugged and left her on her own.
~
"How was practice?" Dashtin asked.
Graham blew out a deep breath and flopped on the couch. "She can pitch a ball like no one I've ever seen, then all of a sudden she throws a wild crazy out of control ball that I have to dive for. It's like every fifth or sixth pitch just gets away from her. I don't get it."
"How's her attitude?"
"Not much better."
"Is she flirting with you yet?"
"What? No. She probably can't stand me," Graham said. "I see you got your car back."
"Yeah, Whitney took me to get it earlier when they called."
"Good, I'm tired of chauffeuring your ass all over town. I'm going to take a shower," Graham tossed her cell phone on the table with her keys and went to her room. She wasn't gone ten minutes when her phone started ringing over and over. Dashtin noticed it said Whitney so she answered it.
"Why the hell did you make Bailey walk back to the dorm in the cold with snow on the ground?" Whitney said with a little bit of edge in her voice.
"Wait, what are you talking about? This is Dashtin."
"Why are you answering Graham's phone?"
"She's in the shower and it won't stop ringing. What's wrong?"
"Graham apparently just left Bailey to walk back to the dorm in the snow."
"Bailey doesn't have a car or know anyone else with one?" Dashtin said.
"That's not the point."
"Bailey's an adult. She needs to put her big girl pants on."
"Oh grow up, Dashtin. Tell Graham to call me when she gets out," Whitney said before hanging up.
A few minutes later Graham appeared squeaky clean and freshly dressed.
"Woman, you stirred the hornets' nest," Dashtin said shaking her head.
"What are you talking about?"
"Whitney wouldn't stop calling so I answered your phone and boy is she pissed."
"About what?"
"Did you leave Bailey at the field?"
"Yeah. We finished at the pitching cage and she went one way and I went the other. What's wrong?"
"Whitney thinks you left her to walk back to the dorm in the snow."
"What the hell? I asked her if she needed a ride and she said 'nope'. So I left."
"You better call Whitney and tell her that."
"Oh good grief this girl is going to drive me crazy." Graham grabbed her phone and pushed the button to dial Whitney's number.
"Hey I'm going to the sandwich shop on the corner. You want anything?" Dashtin asked.
"Yeah, get me a turkey club with Swiss," Graham said as she waited for Whitney to pick up.
"What's going on?" Graham said when Whitney answered.
"Why did you leave Bailey to walk in the snow?"
"Whitney, I have no idea who told you that, but I asked her after practice is she needed a ride and she said no so I left. I'm not her babysitter."
"Claudia just told Vanessa that she walked back to the dorm from practice."
"Well, maybe you should ask Bailey why she walked instead of jumping to conclusions about me. I'm not an asshole, Whitney."
"She's really struggling with this whole pitching thing. Maybe you should hang out with her away from softball."
"Is she a freshman in high school or a freshman in college? You sound like Coach Parker." Graham sighed. "I'll talk to her."
~
The next two days of practice went virtually the same as the first. Graham was trying not to get frustrated. She was learning how to handle the wild pitches and Bailey was quickly learning the pitching signals perfectly even though she still threw whatever she wanted. Graham knew the pressure was getting to both of them and that would only lead to another argument unless they got away from the game.
"Do you want to go get some dinner tonight?" Graham asked when their session ended.
"Are you asking me out?" Bailey raised an eyebrow.
"What! No. I just thought maybe you'd want to get away from the softball scene for a little bit. Coach Parker seems to think it will help us communicate if we get to know each other away from the field."
Bailey laughed. "I was only teasing you. I know you're taken. I guess we can hang out if you don't harp on my pitching the entire time." She stuffed her glove in her locker and turned around to see Graham sitting in a chair watching her.
"First of all, I'm single so I have no idea who told you I wasn't and second I don't want to hear the word softball for the rest of the night so I think we agree on that."
"I'll be ready around six-thirty," Bailey said.
"I'll pick you up. I wouldn't want you to walk in the snow," Graham teased.
"I never said you made me walk in the snow. I was pissed and wanted to walk. Claudia just assumed something and spread it around like
wildfire. I'm grown. I don't need to be babysat."
"Good because I'm not a babysitter. Now, do you need a ride to the dorm?"
Bailey laughed. "No, Alex is picking me up."
~
Graham ran a few errands and checked in with her advisor about changing the time of her molecular chemistry class before heading home. Dashtin was passed out on the couch when she walked in. Graham shook her head and went to her room. She was already working on her senior thesis and if she planned to get into the graduate program for her masters after graduation in the summer then she needed to work harder than ever before.
An hour later she took a quick shower and walked out of her room dressed in jeans and a gray sweater with a black t-shirt under it. She looked like she was going out.
"Why didn't you wake me when you got home?" Dashtin said.
"I'm not your alarm clock," Graham chided.
"You look like you have a hot date."
"What if I do."
"Get the hell out. I can't remember the last time you had a date." Dashtin laughed.
"That's because the entire town thinks you and I are together."
Dashtin guffawed. "If they only knew. That'll never happen. Seriously, what's up?"
"I'm going to dinner with Bailey."
"As in a date?"
"No. Nothing like that. I'm thinking maybe taking our minds off the rift between us on the field might help the situation."
"Don't sleep with her," Dashtin said.
"Really, Dash? That's your M.O. not mine."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. Maybe Sister Fred's ."
"Have fun. She can't even drink, that's going to be a bore."
Graham laughed. "Don't wait up."
"She has a curfew."
"God, she's young," Graham shook her head and grabbed her keys.
Chapter 5
Graham knew the menu by heart, but read it again anyway. She was nervous and that was something she wasn't use to. The young woman sitting across from her intrigued her and annoyed her at the same time, but most of the time she downright drove her crazy.
Fast Pitch Page 2
