The Laws of Emotion

Chapter Five

The sun beat down on my back, highlighting the sweat beading down the back of my neck. My arms quaked with the weight of the bat. 

"Hudson, you won't drop that bat, will you?" Coach Kidman shouted from across the field. 

I groaned. Why had I really thought she let me off the hook for missing weights? Now she was making me hold my bat above my head to make up for missing it. It wasn't bad at the beginning because the bat didn't weigh that much, but it got much worse when I hit the ten minute mark. 

The girls around me snickered. I honestly couldn't believe Coach would make them watch me. Harper especially looked grateful that I was enduring this pain. I wondered if she blamed me for her breakup with Trent. Not that it was my fault, though. I didn't tell him to cheat on her. That was his choice.

Stars appeared on my vision for a second. I really wanted to drop the bat, but if I did, Coach Kidman said I'd be on the bench for the rest of the season. I was pretty sure that this was illegal, but I didn't think she cared. She had a gleeful expression painted on her face. I wanted to smack it right off with my bat.

"Hudson!" Coach Kidman yelled. 

"What?" My voice sounded feeble. Pain raced through my shoulders and arms. Slowly, my fingers were going numb.

"You have an audience!"

"I thought I already had one!" My body burned with anger when she pointed behind me. Cheers rang out, and I realized the track boys ran this route. "When can I drop this?"

"When the sun starts to go down!"

I glanced at the sky and scoffed. I couldn't do this. It was at least five in the afternoon in the middle of April. The sun usually started going down at eight. Either she was joking with me or she was being completely serious. I prayed it was a joke.

Kiley said something to Coach Kidman that made her turn away from me. I immediately dropped the bat, and dust rose from the dirt. My arms shook and pain raged through my shoulders to my fingertips. Tears pricked my eyes.

"Hudson, I didn't say to drop the bat!"

I sent my most hateful glare to her and grabbed my bat from the ground. Every inch of my arm screamed in agony, but I made my way to her. "I don't care if I'm on the bench or if I'm even on the team," I snapped. "I shouldn't have had to do that for fifteen minutes. Coach Henry would've never done that to any of us."

I threw my bat at her feet and turned on my heel, storming away. Some of the girls stepped out of my way. I bet I looked like I was ready to murder someone. I really felt like I could have. Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned my fury on her.

"What?" I snapped.

The new girl on the varsity team - Lacey or something - raised her hands, acting like I was going to hit her. Her face grew pale, but she continued to stand in front of me. "I didn't think she could do that," she said in a rush, her cheeks turning pink.

"Me either." I picked up my softball bag from off the ground and winced. "I miss our old coach."

"I never met her," she answered, taking my bag our of my hand. I almost protested that move because I was very protective of it, but I allowed her to. My arms screamed at me every time I moved them. "But I think we all can agree this coach sucks."

"I'm glad this is my last year." I paused and grabbed my keys out of a small pocket in my bag. "I love softball like it's my brother, but I won't pursue it in college."

"Why?" she asked. After that, she looked like she regretted saying that. "I mean -"

"It's fine," I said, nodding. "But I want to do something different with my life. I've been playing softball for almost my whole life. I want something new."