Maverick

Baseball Players

The two days following my discovery about Angel were spent with dreadfully lonely hours at the pool and at the beach, with nobody but my momma and my book to keep me company. Sure, on Friday I did meet a nice lady with a deep tan at the pool who my mom talked with, but I focused more on my book and disappointment than her.
It just wasn't fair. Not only did I miss out seeing most of the people who shared Week Thirty-One with me, but I missed not having my brothers, whom couldn't come because they were both working, to spend time with and I missed Angel to make bracelets for.
I was able to deal with Friday, but Saturday was the worst. I had never been to the Maverick during a Saturday. Residents were supposed to check out before eleven, and the next week's residents couldn't check in until after four so the house keeping could be done. But due to our last minute calls and planning, we spent that Saturday as the only people at the pool. Momma and I wasted the day lounging and swimming and went down the to beach for the first time. I hate to sound bitter, but I never realized how desolate the beach and ocean could be. I had always connected the ocean with excitement and laughter until that visit.
As Saturday drew on, all I could think of was the only thought that kept me genuinely happy: Tailor was coming tomorrow. All I had to do was get through Saturday and then it'd be Sunday and we'd have a resort full of new kids and families and Tailor would be with me.
Around three o'clock, Momma broke the silence. "What do you want to do for dinner tonight?"
"What are our options?"
"Seafood."
"Overwhelmed as I am by the abundance of options, I think seafood is the way to go."
Mom rolled her eyes at my sarcasm. "There's this place down on Flaglar's Beach that's right on the ocean. The Snack Shack."
I agreed to go, eager to do something for a change. I hurried to the room, showered, and put on the cutest outfit I had (obeying the "leave the house dressed as if you're going to meet the love of your life" rule).
As we left, Momma said something that made me even more excited. "When we get back, this parking lot won't be empty anymore."
•••
The dinner was excellent, aside from the nausea it gave me, but that was expected from the seafood. It had never gone well with my stomach, but I ate it anyways.
I sat in the back seat of our rental car with my earbuds in, listening to Stairway to Heaven (yes, I did listen to Led Zeppelin).
"Lily?"
I grunted.
"Take your earbuds out so you can hear me," Momma said.
"I can hear you fine."
"Just take them out."
Surprised by her demand, I paused my music and took out my earbuds. "Okay, what?"
"I was reading the bulletin board at the Maverick and I saw there's a live concert in Daytona tonight. Do you want to go?"
I contemplated both options: to go to the concert, surrounded by drunks and smokers, or to lounge at the pool back at the Maverick. The decision came fairly easily to me. "I think I'll just say back at the pool, I'd like to meet the new arrivals as soon as I can," I said.
"Oh, come on, Lily!" My mom rarely begged to me like this. "They'll be singing Billy Joel."
"Is it Billy Joel?"
"No, of course not, it's a free concert. It's just a local band who covers him."
I contemplated once again. I did like Billy Joel. "Alright, maybe. But when we stop at the Maverick, if I see somebody I could be friends with, I'll probably just stay. How far away are we?"
"Don't you recognize where we are?"
Truth be told, I hadn't even looked out the window. When I lifted my head from the slouch I had been sitting in, I saw we were about to pull into the resort. I also saw something else.
"BASEBALL PLAYERS! Momma look, those are baseball players! And they're here at the Maverick!" I looked at my mom through the rear view mirror, but she didn't look all that impressed.
"What's the big deal with baseball players? And how can you even tell they're baseball players?"
I was the one who rolled my eyes at that. "Momma, baseball is the sexiest sport a guy could play. And you know what I am? A softball player. We'd get along great!" I ignored mom's question as to how I could distinguish what sport they played. Anybody who saw the two boys unloading the black truck they stood by could tell. The hats they both wore, the baseball tee shirts, and the build of their bodies; tall and athletic, but more lean than muscular, like football players are.
My decision became clear. "I'm staying here tonight. I have to meet them!"
At that point I was wrenching my back to get a good view, as I had barely glanced at them previously. Momma made it difficult though. She parked on the opposite side of the lot.
"Lil please, it's 6:45 and the concert starts at 7 o'clock. Please hurry and get what you need so we can get over there!"
"Momma," I said with a light laugh, "I said I'm not going. Have fun, I'll see you later!" I turned to hurry inside.
"Not so fast. I'm not leaving you here alone. You have to come to the concert with us."
"You asked if I wanted to go and I said no! Why is this mandatory now?" My patience was running low.
"Lillian, I'm sorry. The concert will be fun! I just don't feel comfortable leaving you alone. You're a fifteen year old girl and a perfect target for predators."
"Do you really think there's predators at the Maverick? Even if there were, I know my way around better than most employees, and will have my phone on me. Nothing bad can happen."
We argued as I stood outside the car, glancing toward the black truck across the lot occasionally. The boys had their luggage cart and were starting to move towards the doors.
"You know what, Mom? Whatever. I'll go. But I hope you know I'll pout about it the entire time and you'll probably end up wishing you left me here," I snapped. With that, I turned on my heel and made my way inside.
I climbed the three steps and looked down both sides of the hallway. No baseball players. Checking the elevator, I saw it was on Level Two and on it's way up. I must have just missed them. I hit the button and stood there most impatiently. I didn't want to go, I didn't want to go, I didn't want to go. I wanted to meet the boys so I could make friends. It wasn't fair.
The doors opened and two girls who looked around my age stepped off. I gave them a smile, and to my complete surprise, the girls walked past me without any acknowledgement that I was even there.
"Well then," I muttered under my breath as I stepped on the elevator. The doors shut and I added, "Somebody's got their panties in a wad!"
I stood with my arms crossed, alone as the elevator beeped with every floor. After six beeps the doors opened again. I walked onto my floor and thrusted the door open into room 619, then stopped in my tracks. What was I doing? Why did I come back to the room? I stood and pondered for a good minute or so, then it came to me. I had to change my tampon.
I did what I needed to do, then made my way back to the lobby, feeling nothing but bad for myself the whole time. Not only did I have to go to that dumb concert, I was also on my dumb period while I was at the dumb beach. Everything was just dumb.
Walking through the lobby, I glared at the dumb man behind the desk, wishing it were Angel instead. My mom and Bill were parked below the overhang, waiting for me. I opened the door, then slammed it shut after I sat down.
"Lillian, what has gotten into you?" My mom said most sternly. I kept quiet and thought back on the past few minutes. It made me realize that the one who had their panties in a wad was me.