Out of My League

{15} Afraid of the Dark

2 Months Later...

Charlotte's POV

As I ran, I could feel the wind in my hair and the soft grass under my cleats. I was once again reminded of playing catch with my dad more than a decade ago. Back then everything was so simple, so perfect. I positioned my mitt so it lay directly under the oncoming ball, and smiled to myself as it landed perfectly in my outstretched hand. 

"Out!" My coach called enthusiastically as Dara, the nasty team captain, let out a slew of curse words. She wasn't used to getting out. "Watch your mouth young woman!" my coach yelled in response. Dara's ill-treatment of me hadn't stopped. In fact, it had persistently gotten worse and worse to the point where I shivered at the sight of her. Why couldn't she leave me alone?

As I ran back to the dugout with the rest of my teammates, the coach pulled me aside, a strange smile on her face. "I knew you had potential Black, but this? You're incredible, and it's only going to get better from here."

"Does this mean I won't be a bench warmer anymore?" I joked.

She patted me on the back sympathetically. "Nope!"

I groaned, leaving for the locker rooms. The great part about playing for a college team was the laundry, or the complete lack of. People were hired to wash all your athletic clothes for you, leaving a perfectly clean jersey in front of your locker the next day. It felt so weird being pampered like this. It was a lot to get used.

"Nice job out there!" Sammy called to me, her bright red hair bouncing as she jogged over to me. "I think this year's going to be a great season!"

I smiled in response as we reached the locker room. "If I didn't have such great teammates, I wouldn't be as motivated to practice and push myself," I answered honestly.

"Maybe next game, you'll actually be able to play," Sammy said, grinning. "I honestly don't know what coach is thinking."

A sarcastic chuckle filled the nearly empty room. "I know exactly what she's thinking," a mocking voice called out to us. "She knows you're just bound to mess up Black."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sammy demanded, quickly rushing to my defense.

"She's a wild card. Charlotte's a bomb just waiting to go off." Dara answered, walking confidently over to us and stopping right in front of me. "Coach knows you're all fucked-up inside, Char. I could tell you were the second you walked onto the field."

Sammy quickly pushed Dara away from me, scowling. "So she's had a hard life? Why are you being such a bitch about it?" she demanded. "You're probably just jealous that she's better than you!"

Dara instantly regained her composure and laughed again. "You're hilarious Sammy!" she said, condescension oozing into her voice. "Watch your back, Black," she called back as she disappeared behind a wall of lockers. 

I stood there in silence, desperately trying to brush off Dara's words. It's not true, I told myself. So why did her taunts have such a great effect on me?

I felt Sammy reassuringly wrap her arm around my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You've gotta ignore her, Charlotte. She's just afraid she'll soon replace you as the new bench warmer."

I chuckled unconvincingly. "I'm totally fine. I think I'm going to head back to my apartment now."

"What about dinner?" she asked, a pout forming on her freckled face. Before a big game, we always had an even bigger dinner together as a team. But truthfully, nothing seemed less appealing at that moment. I felt a familiar dull ache forming behind my eyes.