Hate You // Dean Portman

Two Reasons

After school, I went straight back to my dorm to dress into my golf attire before heading out to the golf course that was ON CAMPUS.

I threw on a white skirt with a blue long sleeve collared shirt. I threw my curly hair into a bun and walked out with my viser and golf bag.

I came to the golf course and followed to girls towards the driving range to meet Coach Michael once again.

"Over the summer we had a wonderful preseason. A lot of people showed up and I've seen a lot of progression through everyone who attended." He said. "I can most definitely tell that we are going to have a good year this year."

The girls cheered and smiled.

"I also see that we have some new players so upperclassman, please guide the the rookies for they hold the future for this team. And I truly mean it when I tell you guys to please guide them."

The older players nodded and glanced at the freshman who stood in the back of the back shyly. Me being the pro golfer, I felt that confidence was the key to earning a higher stance on ANY team. I stood up front with the rest of the juniors and seniors, not even considering the fact that I was only a sophomore. How would they be able to tell? I acted, played, and felt like a upperclassman, myself.

"Alright, Varsity over there, Junior varsity over there." He points to split up the two teams.

Since I was offered a scholarship, I just assumed that it would mean a Varsity position. Especially the fact that I had played professionally pretty much my entire life and I was on my varsity team back home AS a freshman. That's when he stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm sorry, Petrina. But I'm having all the JV players play over there." He points towards the girls behind me going straight in with their drivers.

"JV?" I look at him confused. He nods.

A scoff leaves my mouth. "Not to be insolent but why would I be playing with the JV players and not the Varsity players?"

"Because you need to try out to make the spot on varsity. You need to earn it. I let everyone on JV because I believe that everyone should have that potential." He explains.

My eye twitches.

"Is there a problem with my coaching?"

"No, it's just that I played Varsity last year at my old school."

"Well, your at Eden Hall Academy now. This isn't South Carolina anymore, Petrina." He crosses his arms. "We gave you a choice to attend or not. You chose to attend meaning you must abide by our rules, my rules."

"Right, of course, Coach." I turned around and walked down the line of total abhorrant Abecedarians that had the most INADEQUATE swinging an actual educated golfer had ever seen. They were hooking. They were slicing. Some barley even left the tee.

Did coach actually see me as one of these fledglings? All I felt was insulted.

Down to the right, I see the most flawless swings I have ever seen. And they weren't even with a driver. Just a typical pitching wedge. I almost felt insecure. Why did I come here just to be seen as less?

"Hi, are you new around here?" Some girl next to me asked. Her hair was bleached blonde and her eyes looked bright blue from the sunlight.

"Yeah, I came from South Carolina."

"Wow, that's pretty far. I lived in Minnesota my whole life so..." Her voice faded. There was a moment of silence between us. "I'm Lexi!"

"Penny." I say as I set up my ball. The girl looks over at me.