Out of Her League |Lesbian Story|

Chapter 19

The rain bucketed down nonstop for the next two days straight. I walked past the Matryoshka, but I didn't run into anyone from the team or any of our supporters. The footpath was damp, the chairs were tipped up against the tables and there were hardly any customers inside.

I was going to the Thursday training as usual. Surely things would turn around and go back to the way they were. I imagined Felik and Grigor cruising in their Bentley with their cool shades. Felik would crack a few jokes and Grigor would make some great speech and the Rejects would be high spirited again.

When I arrived at the diamond field, the place was deserted. The surface of the park was so soggy all over and in the middle, there was a shallow lake.

I was about to give up and go home when I spotted Margaret. I decided to go over and say hello.

"Hello, Margaret," I said.

"Hello, Darci," she replied, but there was something off in her tone. It wasn't the usual cheerful voice, I was used to.

"So since there's no training, shouldn't we get the team together before the Grand Final?" I asked.

"Oh Darci, I'm so sorry, there isn't a team left to play in the Grand Final," she said grimly.

"What do you mean?" I frowned in confusion.

Margaret pulled up the list of players out of her folder. She ran her finger down the names.

"Nora probably can't play," she said. "She's got a bad cold. Olive is ill, too. I think it's nerves. Harper's parents are going to court, so they need her to decide on the custody. Stefanie and Melissa were requested to play for the Blue Belles Team, which also made it to the Grand Final."

It was an honor to be asked to play in the Blue Belles, a well-known team. Besides, it added to Stefanie's sickening ego that they begged her to go back. I respected Melissa's decision though. Obviously, she couldn't play in both, could she?

Margaret shrugged apologetically as if to say what can I do?

"There's no point now, Darci. You don't have enough players."

"So you mean we have to withdraw from the game?" I was shell-shocked. I couldn't believe it. After all the hard work and everything, this happened.

Margaret sighed and squeezed my arm.

"Nothing else we can do."

Felik and Grigor would know what to do. They would fix this.

"Maybe I should check with the coaches," I said. Margaret shook her head and handed an official form to me.

"It was them who asked me to send the forfeit into the baseball association," she said.

My heart clunked heavily in my chest.

~*~

Inside the Matryoshka, I found Felik in the kitchen peeling potatoes. When he saw me, he stopped what he was doing and steered me back into the dining area. We sat down.

"I was intending to call you to apologize," he said to my surprise.

"About what?" I said.

"Everyone in the team is unhappy and feeling frustrated about themselves," he went on. "I think Grigor and I lost sight of what a team was supposed to be about. Now everyone feels more confused and helpless than when we started. As the coach, I'm responsible."

His throat tightened up, so overcome he had to stop for a second.

"I'm sorry I have failed you, Darci," he said.