Practice is finally over now, and we're about to start the season! See, I joined the team a little late... like... 3 days before the opener of the season. So now we're in our hotel and packing for the road trip!
Butch, Chuck and I all share a room. "The Rookie Room" is what the veterans call it. We always get to stay in room #666. And you know what that stands for, right?
I was loading up my suitcase when Butch came bursting into the room.
"Guys!" he yelled. "David's sunflower seeds are half off at the gas station!" he yelled, again.
"All Right!" exclaimed Chuck and I in unison.
We all went rushing down the hallway of the hotel (on the 6th floor) and sailed down the elevator to the lobby. On the way out the front door, the whole team was still checking in. One of the players was sitting in a chair and asked,
"Where are you guys going?"
"Half... off... David's sunflower... seeds... at the... gas... station..." I said panting as I stood there. Everybody at the checkout counter looked at each other, dropped their stuff and yelled
"RUN!!!" as we all plowed our way through the revolving doors of the Embassy Suite.
"Why are they running?" asked our hitting coach, Wendell.
"Half off David's sunflower seeds at the 'ye old gas station'" said coach Chip.
Wendell looked at Chip in awe, then waddled his way out the front door yelling, "Wait for me, guys!" as he went.
We all reached the parking lot at the exact same time and leapt over the hedges blocking the two parking lots. I was the first to hit the pavement as I ran lickety-sizzle to the gas station. The moment I got in the doors it was like an episode of Supermarket Sweep. Everybody went flying down the aisles in search for the 50-cent bags of David's.
"GOT EM!!!" somebody yelled from the snack aisle.
"The snack aisle... DUH!" I thought to myself as I ran towards the voice.
Butch, Chuck and I all got to the rack in the exact time only to see... a blank white stick poking out of the wall.
"Daggummit." exclaimed Chuck as we stared in pure horror at nothing-on-a-stick.
"Now what?" asked Butch.
"Did you see what the rook's bought?" asked one of the players ahead of us.
"No, what did they get?" another asked.
They looked back and saw us walking out of the gas station with our sugar-free gum!
"Hey!" yelled on of the players. "Liking that... sugarless?" he joked.
"Just wait until I'm batting .300 and striking out 250 plus!" I yelled back.
What's wrong with sugar-free gum? It doesn't rot your teeth! It makes your breath smell good! But that's beside the point. We needed to finish packing.
"I just need my long-sleeved white shirt then I'll meet you on the bus." I told the guys. I shoved it into my suitcase and then started to make my way down the hall. The guys joined me in the lobby as I trotted towards the front desk to sign us all out.
"Hi, uh... we'd like to sign out and pay." I told the clerk.
She put a piece of paper on the marble slab and told me to put in our names.
Cassidy, Cat, St. Claire. I wrote on the paper. I handed it back over along with the key to our room. I decided to pay with a check seeing I had no cash. So I started to sign the check.
"Let me get this one." said Coach Chip from behind us. He walked up to the counter and handed the clerk a hundred dollar bill.
"Thanks... coach..." said Butch, still stunned that coach took up the tab. He walked out to the bus wordless and left us with a nod and the tip of his cap then shoved his way through the revolving doors.
"On to the bus!" we all exclaimed as we marched out the front door and onto our very first bus ride of the season.