Don't Call Me Babe

Chapter One

The score was fifteen to fourteen and of course The Deveon High School softball team, The Gators, were winning. I was pitching, while Amber was catching. Mckenzie is on first, Lauren is on short stop, Emma is on second, and Madison is on third. As for the outfielders there was Julie at left, Hope at center, and Haley at right. I pitched the ball to Amber and it was a strike because the batter, number 35, swung and missed. Player number 35 was seriously getting on my nerves all night long, and I couldn't wait to strike her out.  All I needed to do was pitch two more strikes and this game would be over. My next ball goes straight to Amber's glove, a perfect strike. We are now finally on the last pitch of the night, the whole team is depending on me to win this game. It was very important to strike this girl out because she could easily score if the ball went past Amber, tying the game. This is the last game of the season and we have a perfect record of 12-0. 

I pitched the ball.
It landed exactly in the center of  Amber's Glove, you could literally hear everyone let out the breath they were holding. Even me, that I didn't even know I was holding. 
The whole team ran up and hoisted me up into the air. After we had our little celebration and we had one last pep talk before we said goodbye, until next season, we all started packing up our equipment and throwing away any empty Gatorade bottles. Once we picked up, what seemed like all of the trash and put away all of the bases, I walked out of the dugout.  

"Quinn!" I heard someone call behind me. 

I turned around to see my bestfriend and catcher, Amber,  standing next to her parents. I started to run over to her and I jumped into her arms, like one of those scenes in a  romance movie. But we ended up falling on the ground because we were laughing so hard. 

"There's a victory party at Madison's house at 10 and we are totally going!"
Amber said.

"Okay but I want to go home and shower first because I stink." I said wiping away my tears from laughing so hard.

"Okay I'll see you there then, hopefully you still don't smell this bad!" Amber said while walking away, causing me to laugh just as hard as before. 

I felt someone's eyes on the back of me and when I turned around it was Max. I've had a crush on Max since freshmen year, but he probably didn't even know who I was. Max was the kind of person that everybody new and I mean EVERYONE, especially girls. He always had a different girlfriend every day.  Max made sure everyone knew who he was, but if you talked to him, he would most likely punch you in the face. That's what I like about him, he didn't need anyone's approval of his actions or life choices. I also like that he's super hot, but that's besides the point. I always thought we would be perfect for each other because I'm a softball captain and he's the baseball captain and plus we're both incredible players. I turned back around only to hear him jog up beside me.

"You played great tonight, Guinn." He said. 

"Thanks and by the way my name is Quinn." I replied, and I could literally feel my face heating up.

"Oh sorry." He said with a laugh.

I sped up my pace so I wouldn't have to walk with him anymore because this conversation was just going from bad to worse, and I didn't want to embarrass myself any longer.  

"Woah, woah, woah, why are you in such a hurry?" He said, almost running to catch up with me. 

I slowed down.

"I..I..I have to go get ready for a party." I said looking down, at the suddenly interesting ground. 

"You don't seem like the party type to me, Babe." He said with a smirk. 

It felt like my face was on fire, when he called me "Babe".  If this is how he wanted to play, then let the games begin. 

"I mean you've never really talked to me so I don't know how you think you know my type, Babe." I said with a smirk, almost the same as his. 

"Touche." He said with a slight grin. "Anyways, who's throwing a party and didn't think to invite me?"

"It's kind of like a softball victory party, Madison's throwing it at her house." I replied as we got closer to my car, is he just gonna follow me now? Maybe he needs a ride? 

"Oh yah, I did get invited to that, it just seemed lame so I didn't plan on going." He said as we reached my car and I opened the trunk with the button on my keys.

"Oh really? Boring? Huh, because last I heard almost the whole school is there." I said after I threw my bag into my trunk and pulled out my slides, so I could change out of my cleats. 

"I mean I guess I might as well go now." He said as a grin spread across his face. I swear I've never seen him smile or even talk this much. 

"Hmm, what changed your mind?" I said while untying my laces, I was kinda hoping I was the reason he changed his mind. 

"Just figured I might as well go, there's probably some hot girl's there." He said with yet another smirk on his face.

"Oh." That's all I could honestly say at the moment. I threw my cleats into my trunk, literally I threw them, and then I slammed shut the trunk

"And of course to celebrate the softball team's great win." He said smiling, trying to lighten the mood that he ruined himself. 

"Yah, well I gotta go." I said while walking to the drivers side, faking a smile. Just as I said this a truck, full of the people he hung around with, pulled up.

"Come on!" "Let's go!" "Hurry up, man!" They all were yelling while hanging out of the windows.

"Looks like you gotta go too, see you around Max." I said while getting into the car and starting it, trying to avoid an awkward goodbye.

I watched as he walked in front of my car and got straight into the truck, with the usual bland expression back on his face. 

When the truck pulled away I rested my head on the steering wheel and thought about the conversation I just had. Did he actually just talk to me? Does he like me? HOLY CRAP WHAT IF HE LIKES ME?! Nah, it's not possible ... or is it? 

About ten minutes after my internal battle, I finally started my short drive home, with only one thought on my mind..

Was Max actually going to come to the party?

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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you guys like the book, sorry the first chapter is on the rather short side. Have a good day/night

-Morgan❤️