Rivals (Sequel To Pitcher)

Treat Me Like a Princess

"Look up, Abby! Won't you smile for the cameras?" I closed my eyes as cameras flashed just inches from my eyes. Bright lights surrounding me, questions shouted at me. A hand clenches around my waist, it comforts me and keeps me strong. I am immediately thankful for Austin's presence by my side with his hand on my waist. 

"You're okay, ace, just keep walking. We'll be out of this place soon." He whispered as he bent his down and whispered in my ear. I smiled at him lightly. 

"Atta boy, Nola. Tell your girlfriend to smile." Austin glared at them and pushed me through the crowd. He bent his head down slightly and kissed my cheek. 

"Sweet kid giving his girlfriend a kiss." My fist clenched and I swear it took all of my strength not to beat up these reporters who were swarming around the entrance to the Phillies stadium. It was all because Aaron had decided to let the whole world know that Austin and I were dating. That plus the fact that Austin had made the mistake of getting into a fight with my rivals, the Nats. I had made the mistake of posting an Instagram picture of the two of us together in love park in Philly. This all resulted in the media finding out about Austin and I. The team finding put was no longer a problem since they had all become accustomed to Austin hanging around our clubhouse and me watching and cheering for the Marlins. It was more for this exact reason. Austin and I could barely walk ten feet together without being swarmed by the media. 

Then there were the fans. There were the guys furious with Austin because he had now stolen their "girl". I had no idea I am so many people's celebrity crush until fans started going crazy over how beautiful I am. Also, my teammates would bring it up whenever a fan started screaming at me attempting to get my attention.  There was also the dudes who think that I won't focus on my career as much now and that I just played the game so I could get to sleep with the hot players. Loads oof Phillies fans were calling me disloyal for dating a marlin and for dating Aaron's brother. There the girls back in Louisiana who missed him dearly and were frustrated with me now. I mean these are baseball fans what should I expect?

But they weren't all bad. Plenty of fans had been talking about how cute of a couple Austin and I would be from the start. Many of them were happy to see just how happy Austin and I are. They thought it was good for both of our careers. A great deal of them thought it was important for people to see how we treated each other equally in the relationship and neither of us cared about how successful one was than the other. People thought it was good to see such a tough, "amazing "girl find love and be treated like a princess. There was one thing they were all forgetting, all of the well-wishers and the disrupters alike. Austin and I were not officially in a relationship together. 

"Well we're alive," Austin said out of breath once we had finally gotten through the door and to my clubhouse. 

"That's one way of putting it." 

"Wow, what happened to you two?" Cody asked, walking by. 

"Overly excited sports reporters. That's what happened." I said a bit done in. 

"Really should be more careful about being together, guys." We rolled our eyes and I turned to Austin. I hugged him lightly before we separated to join our teams. 

"Are you guys seriously not a thing yet?" Cody asked, looking at me with his eyebrow raised. 

"Not yet..." '

***

"Some of the best news in sporting news has just arrivieed. Phillies rookie ace, Abigail Smith, and Marlins rookie shortstop Austin Nola are actually dating! During the Phillies recent series in Miami, the pair was spotted at an LSU baseball game a couple of nights ago. The two were seen holding hands and kissed after LSU won the game.  The next day, Nola posted on his Instagram that they would be going to Mardi Gras together in February. After months of denying it, the couple has finally officially announced their relationship during an interview last nnight. Well, it seems like the game just got more interesting for those twp love birds and Abigail is finally being treated like the princess we all know her to be. Seems like our princess of baseball has found her prince." The blond haired news reporter on one of the mqnay gossip channels exccitedlly spoke. As I sat surrounded by my  etammates  with Austin's arm wrapped around my shoulders. I turned my hehad tolook at him and  smiled. My team was just laughing and talkig about how "it was about time" and "they saw it coming". Admittedly it was pretty predictable. 

I turned off the tv, kissed austin goodbye and then turned to my teammates.A new silence had just taken over our clubhouse.It was not surrising. Today was the day that we figured out if we get to the postseason or not. If we won, we were in and if we lost, we were further from it. Naurally the team put the best pitcher on the mound. Which means that the job would fall on me.  I had to face austin and his team to try and get my team into the postseason adn i was a rookie. All of this was a little much for one 22 year old girl to handle. 

"Alright boy's,it's time to focus all y'all. Yes I finally have a boyfriend, yes,he's on the opposing team. No that does not mean that I will be purposely losing to him. I will crush  him and his team just as bad as I woud any ither opposing tema. I assume all y'all will do the same. SO let's go out there today and take the postseason like no  one has before." I finished speaking and grabbed my gloce and cameron to warm up. 

As soon as you were in the hallways closest to the field. You could hear the Phillies fans cheering eagerly waiting for the gameto begin. In the bullpen I just closed my eyes and ignored them, listening to Cameron and only cameron. Then I left the bullpen once i was warm and i stepped out onto the fiekd. Before he left for homeplate cameron, gave me some advice and then left me standing on the mound, alone anf ready to pitch and bring my team victory. I turned my head to see my family in the crowds cheering for me. I saw austin in his dugout as he smiled lightly at me. I saw aaron in our dugout his eyes focused. I saw Cameron give the sign with his glove ready. I took a deep breath. This is it! Here we go!