I don't know what it was exactly, but there was something invigorating about spring time in Manhattan. The people walked around the city, rid of their heavy-duty winter coats, with a little more bounce in their step. Myself included. I had changed my coat out for my trusted denim jacket. The red-brick buildings that surrounded us just seemed to get a little more vibrant under a clear blue sky.
To be honest, the past winter was... not good. Everything has become too much to handle at once, and it all fell like dominos. Now, though, it was nice to notice the daffodils growing in the park on my morning run. It was nice to finally feel like I was healing. And for once it was nice walking onto Campus without an insurmountable sense of pressure. It was like spring had swept away all of the stress along with the cobwebs and clouds, and with it brought a new sense of optimism.
It wasn't just the Spring though. Finally, it was baseball season again. Of course, the team had been practicing all year round, but today was the first competitive match of the season – and the first game ever with my college team – and I was finally getting to do what I came here to do, y'know, apart from get a degree. It was exciting.
There was just one problem though.
The game was against NYU.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. NYU wasn't our biggest baseball rival here in New York City. The problem was it was an away game. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem either, all it meant was wearing our away colours. The problem was NYU is Rhea's university, and we hadn't seen each other since November, when all the dominos fell. I didn't know whether I was going to see her at the game, and if I did, I had no idea how I was going to react.
Some time in January, I had gone to Broadway with a couple of friends from the music society, to get drinks and catch a performance of Hamilton. It was going well, and the play was amazing but during the intermission I saw Rhea sat at the bar. Honestly, what were the chances? She was there with some guy who looked all serious and artistic, and I didn't know how to react. I panicked and ran out of the theatre before she could even notice me. I missed the second act and ditched my friends, who were understanding when I texted them, but to this day if Hamilton hadn't been based on real events, I would have no idea who won the Election of 1800.
Another two months have passed since then, and there hasn't been any more run ins. I didn't think I'd have handled them well if there had been but, without them, it meant that how I would act if I saw her on the NYU campus was entirely unpredictable.
I tried to shrug these worries off as I stepped onto my own campus at Fordham U. I had to be on my A-game today, to prove myself as a Freshman on the team. I was still very much a newbie around here, and playing my first game – and playing it well – was going to help solidify my place here. Besides, I still had classes to attend until game time, and needed to focus if I wanted to get a passing grade for the year.
I stopped off at the campus café. The smell of coffee and toffee flavoured syrup was all too tempting, but today was all about self-discipline, and in the end I picked up an orange juice and a veggie sandwich. When I got to the checkout, I saw that my friend Jessica was on her shift manning the till.
"Hey Ray." She smiled, but you could tell she was already looking forward to clocking out.
"It's been a morning, huh?"
"Seriously. Can people please stop ordering off the 'secret menu'? I have no idea what a unicorn cloud cappuccino is."
"Is it just a cappuccino but like... pink, and maybe topped with rainbow sprinkles?"
"I have no idea, but that's better than what I did."
"What did you do?"
"I just made a normal cappuccino and put some marshmallows in it." I made a scandalised face. "They haven't complained yet."
