Chapter Eleven Sera
Chapter Eleven
Sera
On Thursday, Mom and Abbi drop me off at the middle school softball fields before they go to get mani-pedis.
We had to stop by the pharmacy first, because the extra labs Dr. Lee requested last week finally came back and she wanted to adjust my meds a little.
Even though the dose is only a tiny bit higher, my family’s being a little clingy, as they’re prone to do whenever we’re reminded of how bad last year was.
What they don’t know is that I called the salon and paid ahead, now that I’m making my own money.
I can’t wait for them to come back all annoyed that I’m taking care of them instead of the other way around.
Maddy pulls up at the same time, running late with her little sister, who shouts an angry “I told you so!” before sprinting toward the fields.
“Hey!” Maddy gets out of her car and walks over to pull me into a hug. “Hi, Mrs. Watkins. Hi, Abbi,” Maddy says.
“Hi, honey,” Mom says. “How are your parents? No more issues with the landlord?”
“They’re good and no issues. He’s been delightfully absent since you spoke with him.” Maddy switches her regular glasses out for sunglasses that are just as big but still cool with their bright orange frames. “Are you staying?”
Abbi shakes her head. “No, we’re just dropping off Sera,” she says, and I can hear the post-pharmacy-visit anxiety in her voice.
“Great!” Maddy says, looping her arm into mine. “I’ll watch our girl. You two have a great afternoon.” She pulls me around without waiting for them to say goodbye. I’m so grateful I promise her as much candy from concessions as she can possibly eat.
“On your part-time art teacher salary? For me? Wow, I’m spoiled.”
“Please, it’s the least I can do. Those two have been hovering all morning.”
“Why?” Maddy asks, her eyebrows knitting together. The medicine thing is actually good news. This is the dose Dr. Lee wanted me on; we just had to work up to it.
I shrug. “They like to fuss. Okay, so I need to find the…” I pull out Rose’s flyer and point to the circled team name. “Sandpipers.”
“That’s Marissa’s team! Perfect. I think they’re on the back field.” We walk past the concessions stand, where we say hello to the Stones, who own Lorell’s. I buy myself some sour worms and a Snickers for Maddy while trying to convince her to bring Mrs. Stone a batch of her newest cookies.
“Cardamom cookies with yogurt chips,” I tell her. Mrs. Stone’s eyes light up, but Maddy insists they’re not ready.
“When they are, you bring them by. Okay?”
“Promise.”
We fill up our waters and stuff the candy into the cooler of orange slices Maddy has with her so it won’t melt. Then we locate the Sandpipers by spotting Marissa’s long brown ponytail on the field closest to us. She’s stretching with Rose, who stops and shouts when she sees me.
“Hi, Miss Sera!”
I wave to her as Maddy and I find an open space a couple rows up in the bleachers.
But I almost trip when the coach stands up from the end of the bench and looks around for who Rose is so excited to see.
Maddy has to lower my frozen arm down and tug me into my seat.
It’s Luke. Of course it’s Luke. He gives me a confused smile and calls the girls into a huddle.
“Ugh, he’s going to think I’m stalking him. We hung out a little Monday, but it was awkward. He asked if I wanted to grab dinner, but I had those plans with Jackson.”
“Oooh, plans. Is that what they call it now?” Maddy stifles a giggle.
I feel my cheeks heat up. “Anyway, Luke and I are trying to be friends, but it’s just been…weird.”
“Just act natural,” Maddy says. “We’re here to watch my sister play, that’s all.”
“Right, right,” I reply, crossing my legs and straightening my posture.
Maddy looks over at me and smirks. “That’s not acting natural.”
“Whatever,” I say, slouching again and pulling my ponytail over my shoulder.
Luke looks over at us again quickly, and then back to the team as he has them put their hands in for a cheer.
I feel my cheeks heating up. He’s wearing his baseball uniform, and I now vaguely remember that the flyer said the high school team would be playing an exhibition game afterward against the local firefighters and first responders.
I don’t know how I wasn’t prepared to see him.
I chance a look at him again. Luke is handsome already, but in his uniform he’s downright hot.
There’s no ignoring it or pretending he’s still the nerdy boy from next door who happens to have pieces of my heart in his chest. The whole outfit is formfitting and shows exactly how much he’s grown in the last couple years.
His biceps strain against the edge of the short-sleeved jersey with his last name in maroon across the top. Then I notice the number on his jersey.
He’s number forty-two.
The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
And there’s a small light purple towel hanging from one of his back pockets.
“Are you looking at his ass?” Maddy asks. “Because I kind of get it.” She leans forward like she’s trying to get a closer look.
“No!” I whisper-yell.
“Hey, we can all appreciate a nice butt.”
Finally the Sandpipers take the field for the start of the game.
Noticing Luke in this way is overwhelming, and I feel a little guilty because even though I’ve hung out with Jackson a few times, I don’t get lost in my head thinking about his calves.
Maybe I need to try a little harder there.
I pull my phone out and ask if he wants to come to the exhibition game later.
When I look back up at the field, I tell myself that Luke’s just another hot guy—there are plenty of those.
I went to prom with one two months ago, I’m going on dates with another, and Paris will be full of them for sure.
The Sandpipers are playing against the Minnows, an equally adorable group of kids.
We cheer Rose, Marissa, and the whole team on as they keep the score at zero–zero until the third inning, when Marissa whacks a ball so far even she’s shocked.
Luke shouts at her to run and she sprints off, making it all the way to third before the other team brings the ball back in.
Rose is up next, and I cheer with the rest of the crowd as she focuses in.
There’s a buzz in the crowd even though this is kids’ softball, and my heart warms to be back in Northport again, among people who care about the little moments of life.
Who slow down to go to kids’ sports games and throw fundraisers for footbridges that are actually fun and bring everyone together.
Rose sends the ball flying over the first baseman’s head, bringing Marissa’s feet slapping over home plate.
Rose does a little dance at second base, and I whoop as loud as I can for her.
The next girl is struck out, and the inning ends.
Maddy stands up and stretches, grabbing the cooler.
“I’m going to see if they want these before the next inning starts.
It’s hot. You wanna come?” She tips her head in Luke’s direction, and I’m about to say yes when I notice Izzy bounding onto the field.
Luke slings an arm over her shoulder as she pulls a water bottle out of her bag and hands it to him.
He chugs it down and thanks her by bopping her on the nose with the empty bottle.
They fit so well together. She’s wearing sunglasses, but they can’t hide the way she lights up as she talks to him.
Some of the girls come over, shy but excited to say hi to her too.
They all clearly know her. She must come to these things a lot when she’s not at school.
Serious or not, she’s important to Luke.
My heart clenches, and I remind myself that I’m not from here.
Being a local is a big deal in Northport.
In that way, Izzy and Luke are perfect for each other.
*
When the game is over, we grab more snacks and follow the considerable crowd over to the exhibition game. Marissa is giddy from the win, and I’m surprised the usually sports-averse Maddy is invested too.
“You can see the Northport boys at their best. God knows when Luke and the other seniors are gone they won’t have the same winning streak.”
Marissa argues that that’s not fair, it’s a team sport and he’s just one person.
We squeeze into the packed stands around the main field, and I text Jackson our location so he can find us in the crowd.
We end up behind Izzy and some of Maddy’s and Luke’s other friends.
Luke’s mom and his brothers are here too, down in the front, and Adam stands on the bench wiggling his arms at me.
Paula turns her head and waves. Luke appears next to them, and Adam wraps his arms around Luke’s waist, looking up at his brother like he invented the sun.
Luke laughs, then looks up. His eyes land right on me, and my breath catches in my throat.
But then Jackson slides into the row with us and puts his arm around me.
I lean into him as Maddy runs through the rest of the roster and the high school team takes the field.
I recognize most of the guys on Luke’s team, and they’ve all grown similarly, though none of them seem as charismatic as Luke. He stops to talk to at least five or six more people as he heads back to the field. Jackson asks if I’m rooting for one side or the other.
“Hmm,” I say, thinking. “I’m going with the boys.”
“My money’s on the old folks,” he says.
I laugh. “Suit yourself.”
The fire chief is up to bat first, and she makes a big show of trying to get the ump to walk her, eventually getting her way, to the delight of the crowd.
“So it’s not a real game?” I say to Maddy, reaching into the cooler for some of the candy.
She shrugs. “I don’t really pay attention.” She taps Izzy on the shoulder and asks the same question.
“I think it’ll pick up,” Izzy says, pointing to the lineup of first responders, who, unlike the chief, look fresh-faced and young, ready to play. “Don’t worry, we’ll get to see Luke at his best. He’s not one for going halfway.”
“Oh, I was just curious,” I say. It comes out all in a rush, and I quickly turn and offer Jackson some sour worms.
She’s right, though. The next two batters get on base, and the crowd quiets as the pitcher throws the ball to one of the EMTs.
The first two pitches are strikes, but he connects on the third pitch.
The ball goes whipping toward the third baseman and Luke, who plays shortstop.
It looks like there’s no way either of them will get there in time—until Luke does.
He dives, catching the ball with an outstretched hand.
I cringe as he lands hard on his right side, but he’s up in an instant, the ball flying toward home to catch the runner out too.
The crowd goes nuts. Izzy’s jumping up and down, hollering with the rest of them, while Maddy claps and Marissa shouts, “Go, Coach Luke!”
“Okay, maybe you chose the right team,” Jackson says with a laugh.
Luke dusts off his uniform and tips his hat to the crowd.
The fact that he has this wider life now, friends who used to be bullies now teammates, girls who’d never looked at him twice fawning over him, townies who proudly say “That’s our boy” like they raised him instead of giving him a hard time for preferring art camp over fishing at the docks.
I feel like I’m stuck in a cheery Hallmark movie, just one of those extras lingering on the fringe.
During the third inning I tell Maddy I’m feeling tired, and I ask Jackson to take me home. We slip away, and I wait in the parking lot for Jackson to pull his BMW around. My back is to the field, but I can still hear the announcer’s voice echoing over a wave of cheers.
“And that’s a home run from our own Luke Tisdale, number forty-two, Northport’s finest, showing us how it’s done!
” I’m proud of him, I realize, beneath the loss, knowing he’s no longer just my Luke.
He’s found a place here, made it his, and maybe me not fitting in it anymore is just the way it’s meant to be.