Another Shot....At Love

I. "Comfort"

You didn't make the cut. You are not in the top 6.

Coach Lani's words echoed around Simone to the point she needed to step out for air. Scrolling through her phone to see who she could talk to in that moment, her mind began to draw a blank.

She dials Keisha. "You have reached the voicemail box of....".

Ughhhh!

Next Nate. "I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now..."

Seriously??

At this point her last option was right under her thumb.

"Simone Hicks! To what do I owe this pleasure?" JR replies.

"Can we talk?"

"Of course. Where are you?"

"I'm in the yard, right out side the student union." She shares.

"Okay give me like 5 minutes and I'll meet you there."

It being homecoming weekend the student union was less crowded, everyone was either at a party, a pageant, or a game so this made her feel all the better.

"What's the matter? I could hear your worry through the phone." He asks.

They sit down at the same time at a table towards the back before she breaks into tears. His face falls as he sees her having this moment before him. He rubs her back and gives her the time needed to let this out.

Normally inching away from any intimacy lately, she allowed herself to feel the comfort of his hands, somehow perfectly placed to where she felt his empathy towards her.

"I didn't make top 6. I have to start all over again. All that work, all those extra practices just to have to hustle for a spot once again in the fall." She confesses.

"Hey, hey look at me. Just from seeing you play yesterday I can tell you for a fact you belong in the top 6, heck probably the top 3!"

"Are you gassing me up right now?"

"I'm serious girl! There's a reason you've made it this far. See it as a stepping stone instead of a setback. You were one of the first people to check in on me when I was wildin' and wanted to quit baseball. Well let me be the first to do the same for you." he says grabbing her hand.

For the first time since the news, a smile beings to erupt on her face.

"There she is! Ms. Hicks! that's my new thing for you now since Damon got his little cat call."

They laugh.

"Okay fine, then I get yo call you J."

"I'm down with that. Say have you eaten?"

"No, I haven't thought about anything since the news, it's late now so the dining hall is closed." Her stomach growling right as those words emptied from her lips.

"I wanna take you somewhere." He speaks softly.

"Mr. KEK leaving campus during homecoming? Ouuu I'm telling!" She smirks.

"I have no frat duties or sports duties to report to tonight. So come on, let's get to your room and get you out of that gear and into something comfortable."

"Okay sir." She says impressed with his enthusiasm.

They make it to her room where she looks into her closet for something to wear. After what seems like 20 minutes to him he goes over to the closet and picks out some jeans and a crop top.

"Here, you acting like we going to see the opera or something, we need to get you some food before you pass out."

She gives him a look. "You better be lucky I like the color jeans you picked out, just gonna come all up in my closet and pick MY clothes out. Tuh!"