It isn't often that I have a day off when it comes to spring. Frankly, none of us really do. Laurance is captain of the soccer team, so he's busy. Garroth is captain of the baseball team, so he's also out of the question. Kandi has track, but her practices don't run as long as anybody else's. I have softball, so my time off is limited. Hell, even Vylad is busy because he's on the soccer team.
Cadenza is the only one who isn't doing a sport, but she's preoccupied with graduation. Frankly, spring time is the biggest pain in the butt.
Time I have off is spent with school work and going to someone else's game or meet. Weekends are my only guaranteed time off until a sport creeps its way into that time too. Those are the days I wish I would quit.
"Your game is tomorrow. Are you nervous?"
Garroth typically isn't one to be nervous walking into the game, but Dante felt the need to go over the other team's stats today during lunch. I watched as Garroth tensed up for a brief second before he put on a false sense of relaxation when Laurance turned to make a comment for him. It wasn't a long second, but it was there nonetheless.
"A little bit," Garroth admits. He's laying on his back staring up at the ceiling. With my head on his chest, he runs his fingers through my hair absentmindedly. "I was alright before, but Dante felt the need to throw statistics in the air, and my mind panicked. I miss the days of t-ball where batting averages didn't matter."
"Your batting average is better than mine. I'm always getting hit."
This seems to calm him down. "That's because you're a lefty, and lefties are dumb."
"You're dumb."
A quiet chuckle sounds back his lips, causing his chest to vibrate against my cheek. The pace of his heart returns to normal, and I listen to how loud it beats. This lasts for a few more minutes until I come to the conclusion he has stopped combing through my hair.
I lift my head up to match him. "What's so funny?"
"My dad said he'll be at the game."
If I haven't been to any game in the past, I would've asked why that was funny. I would've said that sounded nice. But I'm not stupid, and I've seen how this plays out.
I know it hurts him. He puts up a brave face and laughs it off, but it hurts him to know his dad wouldn't be somewhere to watch Garroth do something. I can count on one hand how many games he went to last year.
He claims with work it's hard. And with Kandi and Vylad doing sports too, it's even harder. He's gone to more of Garroth's games than the twins' sporting events. Zianna makes it work.
"Maybe he'll actually make it to this game," I say, but even I don't believe the words coming out of my mouth.
The two of us lay there for a little while longer. I have nothing to say, nor can I think of anything. The mention of Garte gloomed Garroth's thoughts.
I roll over into the other side of the bed, sitting up and placing my hand on top of his. "Dinner should be done soon. Laurance said he was going to make something with extra carbs for you."
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Garroth didn't want to look into the stands. He never does. The sound of Zianna's cheering alerts him that she's around, but he doesn't like to look up into the stands to see who came for him.
I'm glad he didn't.
Kandi was able to make it here first because Vylad and I could. Vylad came second, me trailing slowly behind. All of us are in our practice clothes, but we couldn't care less. We smell like actual shit, but we've grown accustomed to the stretch. I feel bad for Zianna, but she acts like it doesn't phase her.
Garroth is one of the last ones out of the dugout. They had a short debriefing before I heard the bats clanging against the fence and bags collide with others' backs.
His eyes search around for a brief moment, and I can see the disappointment he's trying to hide behind them. Garroth places a kiss against Zianna's cheek and one against my own before giving us a strained smile.
"It was a close game," Kandi says, eyeing the guys all around. Her nose wrinkles at the wind picking up the sweat smell of the guys.
"Yeah, yeah it was, but we pulled through," Garroth responds, acknowledging her comment. He looks at Zianna. "Where's dad?"
"He, ah, well. . . Gargar, he really wanted to come, but something came up," Zianna tells him, her face growing nervous.
"Work called, so he went there," Kandi says, her voice cold.
"Kandi, you know your father works hard for his money. He would've came if he could've."
Garroth shakes his head. "It's fine. I'm used to it."
