If you're present and involved like you used to be, well then we'll all have fancy rings to show off around campus. But if you're too busy, why don't you just tell everyone now and save us the trouble?"
"Coach, my father thinks that..." I start to say and he stops me.
"Son, I get it. You have to think about your future and I don't blame you for it. The fact is though, you can't be half into both. You have to decide which path you're gonna choose. Commit to one of them or else nothing is gonna turn out the way it should."
I nod that I understand what he is saying but the fact is I'm nowhere near making up my mind as of yet.
"I'm working on it, Coach. Promise. But hey, even if I'm not here next year, you got a hell of a team for next season."
My statement was supposed to be supportive but instead Coach looks even more concerned.
"Not to put the pressure on but if we don't win the championship this year and you're not coming back next year, well, the school has been pretty clear that I should start sending out my resume."
The awkwardness is everywhere and inescapable as we stand there in silence, the facts laid out and more grim than I had understood. I don't know what to say and my stomach starts to hurt. Just when I think I won't be able to take it any longer, someone else appears in the room. Coach and I both turn to the stairs off to the side of the kitchen and my heart almost stops beating upon seeing her. Standing there in the kitchen like a deer in headlights is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Shoulder length brown hair with tiny curls at the bottom, big saucer-like doe eyes that feel like they're hugging me, and a body that she clearly works on. This angel realizes she just walked in on something awkward and is frozen, unsure of what to do.
"Quinn, I thought you promised to stay upstairs," Coach finally breaks the silence.
"I'm so sorry," Quinn says while outright staring at me, her voice like music. "Let me just grab one thing." She hurries to the refrigerator, grabs a bottle of something and scurries up the stairs, turning back one last time to look at me before disappearing. I watch her the entire time, mesmerized. Before I know it, I can feel Coach's breath up against my face and his free hand gripping my arm.
"No matter what you decide," he says in a low murmur into my ear, "If you go anywhere near her, I'll kill you. I'll rip your head right off of your body. You got it?"
When I tell Coach I understand, he loosens his grip on me and brings the tray out to the hungry team. With the door swinging again after his exit, I stand frozen in the kitchen, staring at the steps the beautiful girl just left on, and it takes all of my strength not to go up there to find her.
*****
Chapter Two
Quinn
*****
I'm a little flushed when I head back up to my room, dizzy and excited from the quick meeting in my kitchen. I had promised I'd stay far away from my dad's ballplayers but that was before I looked out my window and saw just how good looking they are, well, how good looking at least one of them is. After watching from my perch as he walked inside, I couldn't help myself from trying to set up a chance meeting before diving back into studying.
When I return to my room, Becca's face fills my computer screen and I watch as she entertains herself with something else while waiting for me to come back.
"Hey," I call out, "I'm back."
Becca snaps to attention upon hearing my voice. "Sooo, see any hot guys down there? Personally I don't know why you don't just throw yourself into it. Make your dad kick you out. There's way too many hunks down there for you to be stuck up here talking to me."
I laugh with her. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen. I have to get this paper ready any way and that's what I'm here for. I ain't got time for silly boys."
"But there's so many down there," she whines. "Baseball players. The hottest
"Coach, my father thinks that..." I start to say and he stops me.
"Son, I get it. You have to think about your future and I don't blame you for it. The fact is though, you can't be half into both. You have to decide which path you're gonna choose. Commit to one of them or else nothing is gonna turn out the way it should."
I nod that I understand what he is saying but the fact is I'm nowhere near making up my mind as of yet.
"I'm working on it, Coach. Promise. But hey, even if I'm not here next year, you got a hell of a team for next season."
My statement was supposed to be supportive but instead Coach looks even more concerned.
"Not to put the pressure on but if we don't win the championship this year and you're not coming back next year, well, the school has been pretty clear that I should start sending out my resume."
The awkwardness is everywhere and inescapable as we stand there in silence, the facts laid out and more grim than I had understood. I don't know what to say and my stomach starts to hurt. Just when I think I won't be able to take it any longer, someone else appears in the room. Coach and I both turn to the stairs off to the side of the kitchen and my heart almost stops beating upon seeing her. Standing there in the kitchen like a deer in headlights is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Shoulder length brown hair with tiny curls at the bottom, big saucer-like doe eyes that feel like they're hugging me, and a body that she clearly works on. This angel realizes she just walked in on something awkward and is frozen, unsure of what to do.
"Quinn, I thought you promised to stay upstairs," Coach finally breaks the silence.
"I'm so sorry," Quinn says while outright staring at me, her voice like music. "Let me just grab one thing." She hurries to the refrigerator, grabs a bottle of something and scurries up the stairs, turning back one last time to look at me before disappearing. I watch her the entire time, mesmerized. Before I know it, I can feel Coach's breath up against my face and his free hand gripping my arm.
"No matter what you decide," he says in a low murmur into my ear, "If you go anywhere near her, I'll kill you. I'll rip your head right off of your body. You got it?"
When I tell Coach I understand, he loosens his grip on me and brings the tray out to the hungry team. With the door swinging again after his exit, I stand frozen in the kitchen, staring at the steps the beautiful girl just left on, and it takes all of my strength not to go up there to find her.
*****
Chapter Two
Quinn
*****
I'm a little flushed when I head back up to my room, dizzy and excited from the quick meeting in my kitchen. I had promised I'd stay far away from my dad's ballplayers but that was before I looked out my window and saw just how good looking they are, well, how good looking at least one of them is. After watching from my perch as he walked inside, I couldn't help myself from trying to set up a chance meeting before diving back into studying.
When I return to my room, Becca's face fills my computer screen and I watch as she entertains herself with something else while waiting for me to come back.
"Hey," I call out, "I'm back."
Becca snaps to attention upon hearing my voice. "Sooo, see any hot guys down there? Personally I don't know why you don't just throw yourself into it. Make your dad kick you out. There's way too many hunks down there for you to be stuck up here talking to me."
I laugh with her. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen. I have to get this paper ready any way and that's what I'm here for. I ain't got time for silly boys."
"But there's so many down there," she whines. "Baseball players. The hottest
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