Notes 1: Sandlot Kids reference in here. Can't help it, was off work ill, wanted cheering up, and now I'm obsessed.
Notes 2: Um, sorry about the flashback, it bites. I hate it. I suck at them. Hence I work with Vic so often, so she can deal with them!
Disclaimer 2: Sandlot Kids doesn't belong to me either. All I own is Annie.
Annie takes up way too much room when she's sleeping. I really should wake her up and send her back to her room, but she's an insomniac, so when she does finally sleep it's best not to wake her.
That much I've learnt since I met her.
The reason we're friends is because I once had a normal life.
From the time I could hold a bat I played baseball, all day, all night, rain, shine, tidal wave, whatever, I played. And I was good at it, but then my parents convinced me to at least try another sport. I knew a few people on the hockey team, so I gave it a shot.
Once they realised how fast I could move I was changed from third line to first, then the scouts appeared, and all of a sudden I was representing America in the Goodwill Games.
Somewhere along the line I stopped playing baseball and became Luis Mendoza, the (literally) unstoppable speedster.
My baseball 'friends' weren't overjoyed that I was ditching them for another sport. Banksie isn't the only one who's lost friends because of hockey, but only he gets the pity parties about it.
However, one guy, Scott, kept in touch, he even came to LA to see the final game, us verses Iceland.
Then there were those two years of almost normalcy when… well actually, they didn't seem normal… I felt out of place on the baseball team, the hockey team resented me for being picked to represent the country when I was considered a rookie to the sport.
So I was almost relieved to pack up all my junk and head to Minnesota again.
Don't ask what happened in those two years for the other Ducks, I just don't know. The obvious is that, judging from his ego, Charlie thinks he inherited Wayne Gretzky's skills, that Dwayne decided that acting dumb would be an interesting way to get Connie's attention, and that Fulton suddenly deserted his surname.
So when we got back, I decided I'd be someone else too. I decided I'd have a lot more confidence than I did back home. And it was this newfound confidence that led me to Annie.
Scott, my only friend from back home, told me that he had a cousin called Melissa that went to Eden Hall. After a few months, I finally worked out who she was and during a Traci-less lunch wandered over to introduce myself.
No offence to Scott, but his cousin resembles Beelzebub. She's not a nice person at all, she was completely offensive, so I walked away and found somewhere to sit by myself.
Which is when Annie appeared. She walked over, carrying her tray and plunked it down. "Melissa really hates you," she commented, taking a seat. "I don't know what you did to annoy her but I have to congratulate you."
I remember glaring at her and thinking she was the most annoying person on the planet.
"Anyone that Melissa hates is a friend of mine." She said cheerfully. "So, what are your thoughts on ESP?"
That was how our friendship started, although I thought she was a lunatic, so I didn't go out of my way to befriend her. Luckily she sought me out. Traci was often busy with her cheerleader friends during lunch so it was nice to have a friend to sit with to escape from the endless hockey talk, and Charlie's almost unlimited ego.
Come to think of it, Traci probably wasn't busy with cheerleading, she was probably busy with Mike or Mick or whatever he's called.
I know Traci didn't really approve of Annie, she thinks lesbians 'aren't right' somehow. It caused quite a few arguments. Maybe Annie's right, maybe I am better off without her. In fact, I must be. Traci never loved me, and she was sleeping with someone else behind my back, so it's not as if she was the best girlfriend in the world.
But I love her.
And I miss her.
And given even the slightest chance, I'd take her back in a heartbeat.
My mind turns back to the first time she met me after school.
~~~~~~
I'm walking along the halls, wondering where to go. We have practice in an hour, but until then I'm at a lose end. I wander around the campus, slightly amazed at how this place looks more like a manor house than a school.
"Hey." A female voice startles me out of my daze.
I turn to see Traci standing there, she looks so beautiful.
"I hear you want to die a happy man. Varsity's going to crush you, so you may as well get your wish!" She teases, a smile playing on her lips.
I'm pretty sure I'm grinning like a maniac. "Don't be so sure they'll kill us." I reply, it's the only thing I can think of.
"Still, it would be tragic if they did." She winks at me and begins to walk away. She pauses and looks back at me over her shoulder. "Are you coming or not?"
"Where are we going?" I ask, catching up with her.
She smiles but just continues walking so I follow her. It does cross my mind that this might be a set up and she's leading me to get pounded by her boyfriend, but I ignore it.
And I'm glad I did, because she leads me to a wooded part of the grounds and pushes me against a tree and presses her lips to mine.
For a moment I'm to startled to do anything, then my arms wind around her and I deepen the kiss.
~~~~~~
I really miss her.
"You're pathetic," Annie murmurs sleepily. "Stop brooding."
And now I'm worried that Annie can read my mind.