Out of My League

{8} Return

Lemon's POV (2 years ago)

As I stood there in the girl's locker room waiting for Cathy, never had I felt so out of place. I was reminded of when I first came out a year ago. After posting that I liked girls on my Instagram, I couldn't help but notice the change in how people treated me. 

I could see it in the way other girls looked at me in the halls, like I might start making out with them at any moment. I saw it in the way the people at my church observed me, like I was some foreign creature that should be studied. It was subtle, but it was there nonetheless.  I especially saw it in the glances from other girls in the locker room after PE. From that day on, I vowed to always change in the bathrooms, avoiding the forbidden place at all costs.

But Cathy specifically asked me to wait for her in the locker room after lacrosse practice because she had something she wanted to show me. Lucky for me, I was the only soul in the entire place. It was weird being at school when nobody else was there. It gave me a strange sense of freedom, like I could do anything and get away with it.

Suddenly, I was startled by the sound of footsteps. I hastily searched for the nearest exit, but it was too late, a girl had already materialized in front of me. Charlotte was in my English class, but I had never really talked to her in my life. I knew she played softball, and was practically a celebrity at our school after she became the first freshman to ever make the varsity team. She always seemed to have a crowd of people around her, and like most of the kids at our school, probably didn't know I existed.

She didn't see me at first, walking straight to her locker and opening it quickly. She seemed uncharacteristically nervous, her hands shaking slightly as she retrieved her mitt from the open locker. She stood there for a while, staring absentmindedly at her mitt. Then she finally saw me, a smile breaking her serious countenance.

"Oh hi," she said, all signs of apprehension disappearing from her face. 

"Hi, I'm Lemon." I said shyly.

"I know,"  she replied smiling, making my heart do a little flutter. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I'm waiting for a friend," I answered. "She has lacrosse practice."

"Cathy, right?" Charlotte guessed, laughing.

"Yup," I replied, my hands moving to my pockets. "Do you have practice too?"

"A game, actually," she responded. "My first game of the season."

"Oh. Are you excited?" I asked.

"Honestly, I'm more nervous than anything else," Charlotte said, looking down at her mitt again. "I just want to make a good impression on the coach and my team. I feel like if I mess up, that's how they're going to remember me for the rest of the season. You know?" she asked, looking up at me.

"No, I don't know," I said truthfully, making Charlotte laugh. 

It was a surprise to meet Charlotte in person. I'd always assumed that she'd be super stuck-up and judgmental, but talking to her alone made me realize she was none of that. She was much more down to earth and humble than I'd expected. She actually seemed pretty chill.

"Well, wish me luck Lemon Hatfield," she said, pretending to bat the air with her hands and making me laugh.

"Good luck," I whispered to her retreating form.

Charlotte didn't need luck when it came to softball. That day she hit the first home run of the season, and two things started for me: my love of softball and my crush on Charlotte Black.