away from my parents, away from everyone but Lauren.
I was finishing buttoning up my shirt when coach came into the locker room. I had purposefully taken my time, hoping he would find me to tell me good news. He smiled a big smile at me. I knew what that meant.
"Every scout that came wants you to go play for them. If you can get into the high C range for grades, you're going to get your pick. Personally, I think you should pick Meryhist, it's ranked one of the best in the country."
As if he had to tell me that detail. Meryhist was my dream school, one I'd been working for, ever since I found my way to a bat. Not only was it one of the best schools in the country, it was also on the other side of the country.
"Meryhist?" I asked in disbelief. "I didn't even know they were at the game today."
Coach brushed it off. "Eh, I didn't want to tell ya, I wanted you to stay focused. This was probably the best game I've seen you play, Eric. Nice job, keep it going." He patted my shoulder and gave me a smile. I stood there in shock as he left the locker room. I'd done it, I really had. I couldn't race out of there fast enough, I couldn't wait to tell Lauren.
She was waiting for me outside, sitting on the railing. I ran to her and dropped my bag. I swung her down from the railing, her dress floating around behind her. Her laugh rang out in song as I spun her in circles, and soon the laughter was bursting through me as well. I put her down and lowered my face to hers. I kissed her hard on the mouth, hardly knowing how to contain my excitement. When I finally pulled away her eyes were wide, and her lips were red and swollen. I put my forehead to hers and breathed her in.
"I did it," I whispered.
"Did what babe?"
"Meryhist wants me to play for them," my excitement bubbled over and I lifted her to spin her again.
"Wow...Eric, that's so...great!" she answered in my ear.
I could picture the uniform, I could picture the field, I could finally see my life. The last few months of senior year couldn't end quick enough. Meryhist.
I carried her over to the car and we climbed in. I laughed as she squirmed to get away, but I was never planning on letting her go.
"Where should we go celebrate?" I asked, as I started the car.
"Oh, anywhere, you pick."
"How bout our little bistro?"
She nodded and I started to drive. As we drove I rattled off every fact I could think about Meryhist. I felt like I was going a million miles a minute but I just couldn't stop it. If I didn't get it all out, I was going to burst. We pulled into the parking lot of our little Italian restaurant and I looked over at Lauren. Her hair was falling in front of her face and she was playing with a little string in her fingers. Winding and unwinding it tightly around her fingers. I turned off the car and waited.
"What's wrong?" I finally asked.
"Nothing," she answered, avoiding my eyes. "Let's go in."
"No, wait Lauren." I grabbed her hand before she reached for the door. "Tell me what's wrong."
She waited for a long, agonizingly silent moment while she stared out the window. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered.
"Miss me? What do you mean?" I was confused.
"When you go to Meryhist. It's all the way on the other side of the country, what am I going to do without you?"
"Without me?" I laughed. "What do you mean? You're coming with me!" I couldn't imagine leaving Lauren in this town any more than I could imagine staying here myself. But she shook her head and looked down into her lap.
"Why not? Your college test scores were amazing and your grades are at a genius level. You'll get in anywhere, so what's the problem?" I really couldn't think of any reason she would stay in Oakwood. It was starting to feel like something was boiling inside me, something unexpected. I had never been angry at Lauren before, not once in the five months I'd known her, but I was getting
I was finishing buttoning up my shirt when coach came into the locker room. I had purposefully taken my time, hoping he would find me to tell me good news. He smiled a big smile at me. I knew what that meant.
"Every scout that came wants you to go play for them. If you can get into the high C range for grades, you're going to get your pick. Personally, I think you should pick Meryhist, it's ranked one of the best in the country."
As if he had to tell me that detail. Meryhist was my dream school, one I'd been working for, ever since I found my way to a bat. Not only was it one of the best schools in the country, it was also on the other side of the country.
"Meryhist?" I asked in disbelief. "I didn't even know they were at the game today."
Coach brushed it off. "Eh, I didn't want to tell ya, I wanted you to stay focused. This was probably the best game I've seen you play, Eric. Nice job, keep it going." He patted my shoulder and gave me a smile. I stood there in shock as he left the locker room. I'd done it, I really had. I couldn't race out of there fast enough, I couldn't wait to tell Lauren.
She was waiting for me outside, sitting on the railing. I ran to her and dropped my bag. I swung her down from the railing, her dress floating around behind her. Her laugh rang out in song as I spun her in circles, and soon the laughter was bursting through me as well. I put her down and lowered my face to hers. I kissed her hard on the mouth, hardly knowing how to contain my excitement. When I finally pulled away her eyes were wide, and her lips were red and swollen. I put my forehead to hers and breathed her in.
"I did it," I whispered.
"Did what babe?"
"Meryhist wants me to play for them," my excitement bubbled over and I lifted her to spin her again.
"Wow...Eric, that's so...great!" she answered in my ear.
I could picture the uniform, I could picture the field, I could finally see my life. The last few months of senior year couldn't end quick enough. Meryhist.
I carried her over to the car and we climbed in. I laughed as she squirmed to get away, but I was never planning on letting her go.
"Where should we go celebrate?" I asked, as I started the car.
"Oh, anywhere, you pick."
"How bout our little bistro?"
She nodded and I started to drive. As we drove I rattled off every fact I could think about Meryhist. I felt like I was going a million miles a minute but I just couldn't stop it. If I didn't get it all out, I was going to burst. We pulled into the parking lot of our little Italian restaurant and I looked over at Lauren. Her hair was falling in front of her face and she was playing with a little string in her fingers. Winding and unwinding it tightly around her fingers. I turned off the car and waited.
"What's wrong?" I finally asked.
"Nothing," she answered, avoiding my eyes. "Let's go in."
"No, wait Lauren." I grabbed her hand before she reached for the door. "Tell me what's wrong."
She waited for a long, agonizingly silent moment while she stared out the window. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered.
"Miss me? What do you mean?" I was confused.
"When you go to Meryhist. It's all the way on the other side of the country, what am I going to do without you?"
"Without me?" I laughed. "What do you mean? You're coming with me!" I couldn't imagine leaving Lauren in this town any more than I could imagine staying here myself. But she shook her head and looked down into her lap.
"Why not? Your college test scores were amazing and your grades are at a genius level. You'll get in anywhere, so what's the problem?" I really couldn't think of any reason she would stay in Oakwood. It was starting to feel like something was boiling inside me, something unexpected. I had never been angry at Lauren before, not once in the five months I'd known her, but I was getting
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