After months of therapy, Garrett Delko is still struggling to cope with his brother's suicide. The only time he finds peace is on the pitching mound and with a mysterious girl he's been obsessed with since the first week of college. One night, he se...
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Ever since Arianne had agreed to be his date for B-Bash, Garrett had been hopping from cloud to cloud. Not even the chilly reception during baseball practices could bring him down. He avoided Marcus and Stephan, and they did the same, although he caught several glances directed his way when they thought he was occupied. The weird part was he didn't notice any animosity in those looks. Only curiosity and a hint of regret.
Arianne wasn't his only reason for riding high. His pitching had improved, and he was throwing consistent strikes. Every time the ball zipped into Stephan's mitt with a loud smack, Garrett felt like busting out into a dance. Not that anyone would want to see that. He was a horrible dancer. Hopefully, Arianne would only want to slow dance. If not....well, he guessed he would have to suck it up and dance because he'd do anything to make that girl happy. Even subject himself to the endless ridicule of his teammates.
As practice wound down, Coach Foley pulled him into his office. He motioned for Garrett to remain standing as he sank into the chair behind his desk. "I'm liking what I'm seeing, Delko. I don't know how you got back on track, but I'm happy you did."
Garrett planted his feet shoulder length apart and clasped his hands behind his back feeling like a soldier in front of his drill sergeant. "Me too, sir."
"If I put you in another game will you get turned around again?"
Garrett's answer was immediate. "No, sir."
Baseball season had officially started. The first couple of games had been rocky as the team had been working out kinks, but they'd won despite that in large part to Jordan who had been on a hot streak. However, in the past few tournaments, the team had gelled together, and now they were pulling off wins like a well-oiled machine. Gus had been acting as the relief pitcher while Garrett warmed the bench and pretended he wasn't dying to be part of the action.
"Are you sure?"
Garrett had every confidence he could deliver. With Arianne by his side, he was Superman. "Yes, sir. I won't let you down like last time."
Coach Foley's gaze probed his. Satisfied with what he saw, he gave a sharp nod. "You can go."
"Thank you, sir."
But before Garrett left the room, Coach called his name. "For the record, the only time a player lets me down is when he's not putting in his all." Coach's mood shifted, became more solemn like he was trying to impart something important. "Give your all to the team, Delko. Not just your best. But your time and energy."
As Garrett gathered his things in the locker room, he wondered if Jordan had told Coach about their talk. Or was it the other way around? Had Coach encouraged Jordan to talk to Garrett?
Ever since Cardboard Under the Stars, Garrett had been making an effort to interact with the team more. He never skipped a team meal and made all the get-togethers although usually, he left before it got too rowdy. His goal was to initiate at least one conversation every practice. He noticed a difference in a few of the players, but the majority treated him as an annoying pest they'd like to ignore.
