In Love, Against All Odds

Caught in the Game

The next day at the university was buzzing—like, straight-up electric. The baseball game was the talk of the campus, and you could feel the hype in the air. By the time we got to the stands, the place was absolutely packed. Sunny skies, warm vibes, and everyone screaming their lungs out—it was already giving main-character energy.

I rolled in with my crew: Patrick, Adri, Brailey, Alista, Vinita, and the rest of the gang. There was Justin, Brailey's boyfriend, being all couple-goals with her. Dalia and George were there too—like the poster children of "We've been dating forever, but we're still cute." Nash was, of course, being Nash: loud and chaotic, and somehow still the life of the group. And then... Olivia. Yeah, she'd managed to insert herself into the plans again. Like, girl, read the room.

"Y'all ready for the most iconic game of the year?" Brailey yelled, hyped up and waving a little flag with our team's logo on it. She'd gone all out, face paint and everything.

Justin side-eyed her with a smirk. "Iconic? Babe, it's a college game, not the Super Bowl."

Brailey flicked his arm playfully. "Shut up, Justin. I'm living my best life here."

Patrick leaned over from where he was sitting next to me, his arm casually resting behind my seat. "You ready for this?" he asked, his voice low enough that it made my heart skip.

"Oh, totally," I said, grinning. "It's been forever since I watched a game. This better be good."

"Oh, it will be," he replied with that cocky little smirk of his. "Our team's got this."

Cue the first pitch: the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and boom—instant chaos. Everyone was yelling, and Adri was already on one, waving some homemade sign like her life depended on it.

"Adri, chill, you're gonna scare the pitcher," I teased, laughing as she whooped at the top of her lungs.

"No way, Kat!" she shot back. "I'm manifesting greatness for these guys!"

Nash, on the other hand, was being his usual clown self, trash-talking both teams like he was some retired MLB pro. "Bro, look at that guy on first base. I could run faster than him with a sprained ankle."

"Cap!" George called out, laughing. "You'd trip over the first blade of grass."

"You're all just haters," Nash fired back, pretending to flip his nonexistent hair. "Y'all wish you had this level of athleticism."

Patrick shook his head, grinning. "Yeah, because nothing screams 'athlete' like catching your breath after walking up three stairs."

Everyone lost it at that. Nash just threw his hands up like, "You know what? Y'all don't deserve me."

The game started heating up, and our team was actually crushing it. Every hit, every run—it was straight serotonin. Patrick was hyped, high-fiving me every time something good happened. "Told you! These guys are on fire!" he said, practically glowing with excitement.

Halfway through the game, things got wild. A ball flew straight into the stands, and before anyone could even blink, Nash reached out and snatched it with one hand. The crowd near us went wild.

"Yo, what did I just say? I'm built different!" Nash shouted, holding the ball up like he'd just won an Oscar.

"Built different? Nah, you're just  lucky," Justin said, shaking his head. "Bet you couldn't do that again if your life depended on it."

"Okay, hater," Nash replied, slipping the ball into his backpack. "Y'all can stay mad while I bask in my glory."

By now, the game was getting intense. The scoreboard was tight, and you could feel the pressure. Every hit felt like a make-or-break moment. Adri was practically vibrating next to me, clutching her sign like it was a lifeline. "Come on, come on, come on!" she chanted under her breath.

Patrick leaned closer to me, his brows furrowed. "This is it," he muttered. "We gotta hold the lead."

"Don't stress," I said, giving his hand a squeeze. "They've got this."

Then it happened. Final inning. The other team had a guy on third, and everyone was holding their breath. The pitcher wound up, and the batter connected with a crack that sent the ball sky-high. The whole stadium was on its feet, screaming.

"Catch it!" Adri shouted, practically jumping out of her seat.

The outfielder sprinted toward the ball, his glove stretching out as the ball started its descent. It felt like time slowed down. The crowd went dead silent, waiting. And then—thud! The ball landed right in the glove.

The stadium exploded. I screamed, throwing my arms around Patrick without even thinking. "YES! THEY DID IT!"

Patrick laughed, picking me up in a quick spin before setting me back down. "Told you! Never doubted them for a second!"

"Okay, MVP moment!" Adri yelled, jumping up and down. She and Brailey were screaming so loud they were probably scaring kids in the next zip code.

As we all celebrated, Patrick leaned in close, his face lit up with pure joy. "So, was that worth the hype?"

"Absolutely," I said, grinning like an idiot. "Best day ever."

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