"Yes," Graham said flinching from the touch.
"Would you care to explain to me why my three star players aren't speaking to each other?"
Graham shrugged.
"You're the captain of this team, Graham. If you're not up to par then the entire team will feed off of your negative energy. You're their leader and something is seriously bothering you. I have a very strong suspicion Dashtin and Bailey are involved in whatever it is." She paused putting her hand on Graham's shoulder. "Graham, I've known you for four years. You're extremely smart, probably one of the most intelligent students I have coached in my career. In three weeks all of this will be over. You need to choose how you want it to end. I'm here if you need someone to talk to."
Graham nodded and walked away. Coach Walker shook her head watching her leave. If she didn't know any better she'd say the kid was heartbroken. She hoped she would be able to find a way to pull it together.
Graham walked into her room. Tossing her bag on the floor she sat on the bed to take her shoes off as the bathroom door opened. She looked up to see Bailey walking towards her. Graham jumped to her feet.
"I must be in the wrong room," she said reaching for her bag on the floor.
"No, I'm in the wrong room. I asked Katie to switch with me," Bailey said.
"What the hell for? Switch back."
"We need to talk, Graham."
"There's nothing to talk about, not here, not now, not ever."
"I know about Olivia and I'm not her," Bailey said.
"Who told you about her?"
"Dashtin. She's worried about you. She said you haven't eaten and you don't sleep. You haven't said a single word to me in two weeks," Bailey said. "I never meant to hurt you, Graham."
"It's a little too late for that don't you think?" Graham growled.
"What happened with Dashtin and I was unintentional. It was a huge mistake. Neither of us are attracted to each other. I didn't have sex with her or anyone else for that matter. I'm not like that. Please don't compare me to a girl who slept with multiple people behind your back and don't compare what we had to a relationship full of lies."
"It doesn't matter what it was, it's over now."
"It doesn't have to be. Talk to me, Graham," Bailey pleaded.
"Bailey, I don't even know what to say to you."
"How do you love someone so much and just turn everything off? Tell me how to let you go because I don't know how. I can't just forget everything we had, the way we made love, I don't know how you can," Bailey snapped.
"You obviously forgot all about it when you were kissing my best friend and came within inches of having sex with her," Graham yelled.
Bailey went to say something but Graham put her hand up. "Please, just go," she said quietly.
Bailey walked out the door without another word being spoken. Graham ran her hands through her hair and sighed as she sat down on the corner of the bed. She felt like the boat she was on was sinking faster than the Titanic and there were no lifeboats left.
~
The Pioneers barely won their first game of the Super Regional Tournament and struggled even worse in their second game the next afternoon. Graham and Dashtin struck out every time they were at bat and Bailey's pitching was so off Sarah had to come in during the fifth inning and close out the game. If it wasn't for a late home run hit by Vanessa that also brought Katie in they would've lost the game.
The entire team was on edge when they walked back to the bus. Coach Walker waited for everyone to sit down. The bus wasn't even out of the parking lot before she started yelling at the team expressing her severe disappointment in the way they played.
"Graham, I told you when we got here as the captain of this team you needed to grab the reins on whatever is going on between you, Bailey, and Dashtin. Now, I'm telling the three of you to get over it and move on because if we have another game like we did today I can promise you we will not win by the skin of our teeth. We are potentially moving on to the World Series where we will meet the most elite teams and honestly at the moment we don't look like we belong in the same category," she said as the bus came to a stop in front of the hotel. "You better hope Wisconsin loses tonight so that we don't have to play a third game. At this point, I'm not sure we would win."
Everyone walked off the bus behind Coach Walker. Graham was one of the last players on the team to exit the bus. She walked past most of the team that was gathering in the lobby.
"What the hell is going on?" Whitney said as she passed by.
"What?" Graham said turning around.
"There's obviously something going and it's affecting the team. We deserve to know," Whitney said.
"Bailey and I are no longer together. If you want the details ask Dashtin. She has an answer for everything," Graham said.
"Don't even go there, Graham," Dashtin growled. "Everyone makes mistakes."
"I'm sorry I'm playing shitty, Whitney, but it's really hard to pretend I care to be around my ex-girlfriend and my ex-best friend and yes I'm going to go there, Dashtin because if you and Bailey hadn't mistakenly 'almost' slept together none of this would be happening right now!" Graham yelled and walked out the front door of the hotel.
The majority of the team members overheard the entire conversation along with the coaches. Everyone stood speechless as Bailey ran for the elevator in tears. Dashtin followed Graham outside. All of the players rushed to the windows as Dashtin caught up with Graham in the parking lot.
"This is ridiculous you're acting childish, Graham. I don't know how many times Bailey or I have to apologize to you before you truly realize neither of us wanted anything to happen. It was just something stupid that occurred. I can't take it back no matter how hard I've tried to wish it away," Dashtin said. "If you want to blame someone and be pissed at someone then hate me. I started it. Bailey just reacted."
"You may have started it but she didn't stop you right away. She let it happen. You're both to blame," Graham said.
"That girl loves you, Graham, and I know you love her whether you want to admit it or not. She's not Olivia. Stop treating her like she is before you push away the best thing that has ever happened to you."
"It's mighty funny how you couldn't stand her until all of this happened."
Dashtin wanted to choke the life out of her best friend or at least slap her around a little bit. "She has called me crying her eyes out so many times I can't even count. No one knows you better than I do and she had no one else to talk to about you. Do you hear what I'm saying, Graham? You, all she talks about is you. The day all of that happened she told me how disgusted she was with me and how ashamed she was with herself for making the biggest mistake of her life. I told her not to say anything because I knew how Olivia tore you apart and this would make you push Bailey out of your life. She didn't understand and she didn't want lies and secrets between you two so she told you." Dashtin wiped the tears that started down her face. "Damn it, Graham you're my best friend. I can never tell you how sorry I am."
Graham turned around and walked back into the hotel ignoring the audience of team members as she went into the elevator. Helena dove into the elevator with her just before the doors shut.
"I'm sorry about everything that's going on with you. I'm here if you need someone to talk to. Maybe we can order room service tonight instead of having dinner with the team. I'm sure Coach Walker will approve it," Helena said putting her arm over Graham's shoulders.
Bailey was sitting on the floor in front of the door to her and Claudia's room when the doors opened. Graham didn't notice her at first she was too busy trying to get out from under Helena's claws.
"Are you kidding me?" Bailey spat. She stood up as they exited the elevator. Helena smiled at her still holding her arm around Graham's shoulders.
"I'm going to let Coach Walker know we're going to order room service and stay in tonight," Helena said loud enough for Bailey to hear placing her other hand on Graham's upper arm.
Graham's head was pounding. She felt lik
e she was hit over the head with a bat and put on a rollercoaster. "What are you doing in the hallway?" she said to Bailey as she pulled away from Helena's grasp.
"Claudia has the room key," Bailey's face was still wet from tears. "What are you doing with her?"
Graham looked at Helena. "You can tell Coach Walker I'm ordering room service tonight if you want, but you're not dining with me," she said.
"Why you chose to be with some teenage kid, that obviously doesn't care about you or she wouldn't have screwed your friend, instead of a real woman like me, I will never know," Helena huffed and walked down the hall towards her own room.
Graham sighed. "Come on," she said to Bailey. "You can wait for her in my room if you want."
Bailey followed her to the room a few doors down and sat down on the chair by the window after Graham opened the door. Graham sat on the edge of her bed, kicked her shoes off, and hung her throbbing head in her hands with her eyes closed. She tried rubbing her temples with her thumbs, but nothing was helping the intense pressure.
"How bad is it?" Bailey asked.
Graham could barely open her eyes to look at her.
"My mom use to get horrible migraines when I was little. My dad would put her head in his lap and massage her scalp until she fell asleep," Bailey said.
Graham nodded. "I don't think I've ever had a migraine. I very seldom get headaches especially like this, only when I'm stressed to my max."
"My mom use to describe it as feeling like your head was being squeezed in a vice and light or sound made it worse. I've never had one either."
"What did she do to make them stop?"
"She was an amazing woman, but they never stopped. She had a brain tumor and died when I was nine," Bailey said wiping a few fresh tears from her face.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry, Bailey," Graham said.
"Thanks."
"I've heard you mention your mom and dad. I didn't realize she was gone."
"That's Maggie, my step-mom. My dad remarried two years later. He had two small kids that needed more than he could provide alone. She's been a great second mom to me and my brother."
"You know all about my mom. She's definitely no cake walk, but it would be difficult if something like that happened to her especially if I were so young. How come you never told me?"
"I was planning to when I asked you to come home with me this summer and meet my family, but everything went to hell," Bailey said.
"You wanted me to meet your family?" Graham asked.
"I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Graham. I know I'm young and believe me that has been thrown in my face enough times, but I know I love you with all of my heart. I've never felt anything like I feel with you. People say you have your whole life ahead of you, well no one knows how long their whole life will be. My mom was thirty when she died."
"She was so young, but you do have your whole life ahead of you, Bailey. Whether it's ten years or seventy years you're right we don't know. I'm graduating when we get back and you still have three more years here. So much is going to happen in your life during those three years. It's better that we move on now instead of when I leave. That will just make it harder in the long run. Neither of us expected to get serious so fast. If I've learned anything during my four years here it's people come and go in your life and new experiences happen every year. That's what makes college so memorable." Graham tried to smiled.
"I disagree," Bailey said.
"Let's agree to disagree then and move on. We need to pull this team back together. It's the only way we are going to do what we set out to do at the beginning of the season and that's win a championship. That's why we are sitting where we are sitting right now."
"You and Dashtin need to work things out. She's your best friend, Graham. When I first met you both I was jealous of her. When I realized you weren't together I was still jealous because of the bond the two of you share. Don't let all of this cause a river too wide to swim across between you. Like you said, you'll be leaving soon. I'm sure you're going separate ways anyway. Do you really want to go the rest of your life without your best friend?"
Graham smiled at her. "You're in the wrong major," she said.
Bailey laughed softly and stood up. "Eat an early dinner and take some ibuprofen it will help your headache. Most of all, you need to sleep. Not eating or sleeping has taken its toll on you." She ran her hand through Graham's hair and walked out of the room.
Chapter 21
The next day the Pioneers boarded the bus for the trip home. Wisconsin had lost their second game meaning the Pioneers were going to the Women's College World Series. They needed to get home fast since they only had a couple of days to prepare for the softball championship in Oklahoma that started in four days.
Graham stared out the window for most of the long drive. Thankfully, no one sat next to her. She was ready to go home to her own bed. She tried to sleep but her mind kept drifting back to her conversation with Bailey. No matter how hard she tried to let her go she kept finding a way to come right back into her life and invade her dreams. She closed her eyes and awoke again when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Bailey standing there smiling softly.
"We're back," she said.
"Thanks." Graham stretched and stood up.
Graham grabbed her bag when she got off the bus and headed straight for her Jeep. She drove home without looking back.
Dashtin arrived at the apartment close to an hour later after dropping off a few of their teammates. Graham was sitting on the couch when she walked in.
"Can we talk?" Graham said.
Dashtin nodded and sat down on the other end of the couch.
"For four years we talked about going to the Women's College World Series and I always thought it would be a huge celebration and here we are going in a couple of days and we're not even speaking to each other. The team is falling apart. Everything is just one big mess."
"It's not how I envisioned it either," Dashtin said.
"Bailey and I talked yesterday."
"That's good."
"I'm not getting back with her. I care for her and you're right I do love her, but we both need to move on. She has so much time left here and with me graduating my life is just beginning. She did bring up a good point though. She asked me if I want to go the rest of my life without my best friend," Graham said.
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything, but I thought about that entire conversation over and over in my head all night. Dashtin, I can't forgive what you did. Whether you intended to do it or not you made a move on the one person in this world that meant everything to me. I will surely never forget it, and we may never go back to the way we were, but I do want you in my life."
"I don't expect you to forgive me either, but I don't want to lose our friendship. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be graduating in two weeks. I made the biggest mistake of my life purely by accident. I forgot who I was with and I let myself get caught up in a moment that wasn't even a moment. I've learned a lot from this. It's even made me question my career. If I can't be professional with my best friend's girlfriend, how can I be professional with strangers? I actually talked to one of my professors about it. He said that happens to everyone at least once during their career and not to worry about it. It's still on the back of my mind though."
"You're the only one that can make sure that fine line is always tight so you don't cross it," Graham said. "Worrying about that line is not a reason to give up what you worked so hard for."
"You're right. Just like you always are. I've missed having you to talk to these past few weeks. It sucks when the one person you need most won't talk to you."
"I know the feeling. It's not easy when that same person is also the reason you're upset or mad. I'm glad we're talking now, though," Graham said.
"Me too. Since we're talking, can I just say I think it's a huge mistake for you to push Bailey away? You're clearly meant to be together."
"Sometimes things don't look as good on paper. Let's leave it at that," Graham said.
"I'm going out to get something to eat. Do you want to go?"
"No. I need to go check the mail and call my dad. I'm sure he saw the game last night and has already booked a plane to Oklahoma."
~
The next day Graham walked into Coach Walker's office a few minutes before practice was supposed to start.
"Coach Walker, as the captain, I'd like to address the team before practice today," Graham said.
Coach Walker nodded. "I think that's a great idea. You look a little better than you did in Boise."
"I decided to start trying to right the sinking ship before it capsized." Graham walked into the locker room with Coach Walker behind her.
"Settle down, ladies. Your captain has something to say to you," Coach Walker said.
Graham waited for everyone to calm down and take a seat on one of the benches in front of the lockers.
"Let me be the first to apologize for the way my personal life has compromised this team over the past few weeks. Actions were made and words were said that indirectly effected everyone and as your Captain I'm sorry. We are on our way to the Women's College World Series for only the third time in school history. We should be celebrating and enjoying every minute of this and I for one am ready to get the party started in Oklahoma. I came to this school to play softball and win a championship. If you came here for the same reasons then let's put the past few weeks aside and play the game the way we know how!" Her voice rose in the last line.
Everyone clapped and cheered. They looked like the pumped up, excited team that they should be. Most of the girls high-fived Graham on their way out of the locker room for their practice session.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Coach Walker said patting Graham on the back as they took the field.
~
After a long plane ride the Pioneers landed in Oklahoma City and waited for their luggage and equipment at the baggage claim station.
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