Fast-Pitch Love

by Clay Cormany

  Jace watched the arc of the water change direction and rise into the air. Which girl should he talk to first? Stephanie was the logical choice. It made sense to end one quest before starting another. On the other hand, he and Stephanie had been on only a few dates. They’d never been boyfriend and girlfriend. Did he have to break up with a girl he wasn’t going with?

  The streams of water from the sprinkler flattened out, fell upon a patch of geraniums near the front porch, and then rose again. Sylvia was the one he wanted to talk to first. He had wanted to ask her out after the last game, but their argument over the illegal bat got in the way. Now softball season was over, and Jace felt that if he didn’t act now, the chance to start that new journey with Sylvia would be lost for the summer — and maybe for good.

  Jace got out of the car and jogged across the damp grass to the front porch. He pressed the doorbell and — almost as if she expected him — Sylvia appeared. She had her hair in a bun and wore a red-checkered apron.

  "What a nice surprise," Sylvia said, opening the door for him. "Any news on Carson?"

  "Yes," Jace said, as they walked through the living room to the kitchen. He pointed at her apron. "Are you on chef duty today?"

  "Nah, Mom wants me to dice some potatoes for a casserole she’s making tonight, so I’m getting a head start." She went to a cutting board on the counter, picked up a potato, and began shredding off its skin with a paring knife. "So what’s up?"

  Jace seated himself on a stool on the opposite side of the counter. "I just saw Carson."

  "How’s he doing?"

  "He seems awfully down, but his mom says he’s making progress with his recovery."

  "That’s good." Sylvia paused to brush some of the peelings to the side of the cutting board. "Would you like to talk to Stephanie? She isn’t here right now, but she should be back soon. When do you think you’ll ask her out again?"

  "I do need to talk to Stephanie," Jace said, pressing his fingertips together. "But I won’t be asking her out anymore."

  Sylvia’s mouth opened and the potato slid from her hand onto the counter and then rolled onto the floor.

  "What?" she sputtered. "After all you went through with Carson? Why not?"

  "Things just seem to go wrong on our dates, and…"

  "And what?"

  "And there’s another girl I want to go out with instead."

  It was hard to describe Sylvia’s expression. Surprise, hope, and doubt all seemed to run across her face in a split second. She dropped the knife and lowered her head. A strand of hair fell down from her bun and bounced against her cheek. She remained silent for several seconds, and when she did speak, her voice trembled.

  "Who is she? Someone from school?"

  "Yes."

  "Someone I know?"

  "Yes, quite well."

  "Someone who –"

  Jace got off the stool, moved around the counter, and put one arm on her waist. Then he took his hand, placed it under her chin, and raised her head until their eyes were inches apart.

  "Stop with the twenty questions. You know you’re the one I’m talking about."

  "Is that what you were about to tell me on the phone last Sunday?"

  "Yeah, but I like it better this way with you in front of me."

  Jace’s words seemed to freeze Sylvia in place, making her as motionless and silent as the image in a photograph. He extended his arm farther around her waist and moved closer. Close enough to feel her breath on his cheek. Close enough to feel the warmth of her body and smell the scent of shampoo on her hair. Close enough to see a tiny tear in the corner of her eye. When more than a minute passed without Sylvia saying anything, Jace began to worry.

  "Have I read the signals wrong?" he asked, removing his arm and taking a step back.

  "Signals?"

  "You must know what I mean. Like the kiss you gave me after I got clobbered by that angry parent."

  "I couldn’t resist. You were so helpless."

  "And what about your new hair style and the make-up you’ve been wearing lately?"

  "What about it?" Sylvia said. Her voice was soft but also strained.

  Jace stared at the ceiling for several seconds and then straight at his fellow coach. "Don’t you want me to go out with you instead of your sister?"

  Sylvia sighed and looked down at the floor and then at Jace. "Yes, but it’s not what I expected. It doesn’t seem real somehow."

  "It is real, and I’ll prove it to you."

  Jace planted his lips on Sylvia’s, his nose brushing her cheek as he moved in. Sylvia seemed hesitant, even fearful, at first. Then she picked up momentum, even became bold, before backing off and pulling away. Doubt clouded her face.

  "There’s got to be something wrong with you."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Because no guy ever wanted to be with me more than Stephanie."

  "There’s a first time for everything." That sounded trite, but Jace couldn’t think of anything else.

  "That’s what I thought two summers ago, when we lived in Arlington. A family with three sons moved in next door while Stephanie was down in Kentucky with my grandparents. The oldest boy George and I hit it off pretty well. We’d go out for ice cream or popsicles after dinner and then watch TV. One Saturday, he took me to a movie, gave me my first kiss, and called me his girlfriend. Then Stephanie came back, and it was like he was bewitched. His eyes almost fell out when he met her. Every time George called after that, he wanted to talk to her. When he came over, it was to see her. It was like I didn’t exist anymore."

  "He shouldn’t have treated you that way."

  "Yeah, but how can you blame him? Stephanie is so much prettier than I am."

  "No, she’s not."

  Sylvia pointed a finger at him. "You’re not being honest with me, Jace."

  "Yes, I am," he asserted. "I don’t know what you and Stephanie looked like two years ago, but right now I can tell you that you’re just as beautiful as she is."

  Sylvia shied away from him. "I don’t believe you."

  "Why not? After all, the two of you are…twins."

  Sylvia slapped a hand over her mouth and drew her head back. "How did you find that out?"

  "Stick told me. He talked to some guy who knew you and your sister when you lived in Arlington."

  "I guess it doesn’t matter. Except now you’ll want to know why I’m a grade behind her, won’t you?"

  Jace put a hand on Sylvia’s shoulder. "You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to."

  "It’s because of a disease called polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS for short."

  "Sounds like a girl thing."

  Sylvia gave a bitter chuckle and stepped back, causing Jace to let go of her. "You’re right, cowboy. But wouldn’t you know? My beautiful twin sister never got it."

  "Why did it make you fall behind in school?"

  "The disease messed up my hormones something terrible. I gained all kinds of weight, had pimples covering my face, and almost became diabetic. I missed a lot of school going to doctors who tried different drugs. I also cut class a lot because I didn’t want to be around other kids, looking the way I did. I fell so far behind that my parents held me back in tenth grade."

  "I’m sorry you went through all that, but the PCOS is under control now, right?"

  "Mostly. I’m taking some medicine that helps, and there’s a diet I have to follow. But even so, I’m always going to be on the heavy side."

  Jace shrugged. "Who cares? You’re still as pretty as Stephanie."

  "And you’re still not being honest." Sylvia put her hands on her hips and frowned. "You volunteered to help coach your mom’s softball team because you thought Stephanie was going to be an assistant coach, right?"

  "Right, but –"

  "But nothing. It makes perfect sense. You figured you’d be seeing her two or three times a week at games and practices, and there wouldn’t be any other guys hanging around. You’d have her all to yourself."


  "You make it sound like I’m some sort of villain," Jace said.

  "You’re not a villain, but the truth is if you’d known I was the assistant coach for your mom’s team, you never would’ve volunteered to be one, too."

  Jace studied Sylvia for a long time. Doubt was in her eyes, along with a glimmer of hope — hope that would live or die on what he said next.

  "Do you wish I hadn’t coached the Valkyries with you?" he asked.

  "No."

  "That’s how I feel, too. Sure, I thought it would be cool to coach softball with Stephanie, but I stayed with the team even after I knew I'd be coaching with you. The jokes, the arguments, the wins, the losses, the crazy things that happened to us — they all showed me how terrific you are and how much I wanted to keep seeing you even after the season was over."

  A smile started to take shape on Sylvia’s face, but she restrained it and shook her head. "I still can’t believe this."

  "Why not?" Jace continued. "What law says that you can’t have a boyfriend? Where is it written that you always have to build up Stephanie and Tina and put yourself in the shadows?"

  "Nowhere, I guess. It’s just that they seem to get all the attention because of their talent and beauty."

  "Take my word for it. You’ve got talent and beauty to spare." Jace glanced at the floor and saw the potato that had fallen there. He picked it up and showed it to Sylvia.

  "Need some help with these potatoes?" he asked, smiling.

  "Maybe later," she said before thrusting her arms around Jace’s neck and putting their lips together once again.

  The sound of someone clearing her throat made Jace and Sylvia end their embrace and look toward the door that led into the living room. Stephanie stood there, arms folded, a copy of Little Women in one hand.

  Jace’s face reddened. Maybe he should have talked with Stephanie first after all. He felt tempted to make up some excuse, but the feeling vanished. Still, he didn’t know what to say and evidently the two girls didn’t either, because they stood there in silence with him for quite a while. Together, they made a soundless triangle of tension, separated only by a kitchen counter and a few feet of floor.

  Stephanie unfolded her arms, took a few steps, and thudded the book down on the kitchen table. "It looks to me like the softball season is going into extra innings," she said, glaring at Sylvia.

  "Let it go, Steph," Sylvia shot back. "You know you don’t really want him."

  "Don’t really want him? Why, that isn’t true at all, but the real question is, who does he want, and we both know it’s me."

  "No, he’s changed his mind. He wants me," Sylvia retorted. "Didn’t you just see us kissing?"

  Stephanie shrugged. "A brief lapse in judgment," she said, adding, "and I’d guess more your fault than his."

  Desperation gripped Sylvia’s face, and Jace knew he had to speak.

  He came around the counter and stopped about five feet in front of Stephanie. She started to move toward him, but he held up a restraining hand.

  "No, Sylvia’s right. I’ve changed my mind."

  Stephanie raised her head, cocking an eyebrow at the same time. "I don’t believe you."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I know you’re crazy about me, Jace Waldron. I’ve known it for months."

  "Huh?"

  "Don’t you think I didn’t see you peering at me day after day in history class? I could feel your eyes on me like lasers! And you even told me you volunteered to coach girls' softball because you thought I’d be coaching with you. Isn’t that true?"

  "Yes."

  "And just now," Stephanie held up a new-looking cell phone, "I talked to Ned about that race you and Carson had at the stadium last Sunday. It was about me, wasn’t it?"

  "Yes."

  "And if Carson hadn’t had that emergency, you two would have punched it out, right?"

  "Right." Jace felt clumsy and stupid. Right now, he couldn’t believe either of these two girls could want him.

  "That’s why no matter what’s been going on here with you and Syl, I know I’m the one you still want." She moved toward him again, but Jace pulled back.

  "No Stephanie, I’m sorry. Everything you say is true. But it’s better for me if we break up, and whether you believe it or not, it’s better for you, too."

  Stephanie frowned and her mouth dropped open a little. "Better for me? How?"

  "Because we don’t match up that well."

  Stephanie threw up her arms. "What do you mean?"

  "For one thing, something always goes wrong on our dates, whether it’s cars that won’t start, bee stings, or upset stomachs. For another, you only went out with me to get away from Carson."

  "But that’s just why I went out with you the first time. After that, I went out with you 'cause I liked you."

  "That’s not the only reason, either," said Sylvia. "Tell him what you told me."

  A flash of anger flickered across Stephanie’s face. "That’s between you and me, Syl."

  "Not anymore. It’s about him, too. So tell him!"

  Stephanie sighed. "Okay. I also went out with you because I knew Syl wanted to go out with you, too. But like I said at the carnival, it’s all different now. I like you just for who you are."

  Stephanie searched Jace’s eyes for reassurance but found none. She looked both hurt and bewildered.

  "I’ve never been dumped in my life. What happened, Jace? Why are you turning against me?"

  "I’m not turning against you, but something did happen."

  "What?"

  "I realized that just being attracted to someone isn’t enough."

  "That’s hardly news."

  "No, but it was something I needed to learn first-hand before I could understand it."

  "What makes you think you’ll hit it off with Syl?"

  "Because we already hit it off as coaches and as friends, and she’s always liked me for who I am and not because she could use me to escape someone else."

  "But look at her." Stephanie pointed toward her sister, as if she were a broken-down car in need of a tow. "She’s…she’s…fat!"

  Baring her teeth, Sylvia grabbed a potato peel off the cutting board and hurled it at her sister. The peel fell to the floor a few inches from Stephanie's feet.

  "You don’t throw a potato skin any better than a softball," Stephanie jeered.

  "Wanna bet?" Sylvia shot back, picking up a handful of peelings and crunching them into a sloppy brown ball.

  "Don’t you dare!" shouted Stephanie. She grabbed her copy of Little Women and held it out like a shield. At the same time, Sylvia, her mouth twisted into a tiger-like snarl, cocked her arm and threw the makeshift ball at her sister. Stephanie brought the book up to her shoulder and then swung it like a bat. She knocked most of the scraps onto the floor, but some went onto her sandals and one landed on Jace’s shirt. It stuck there for a few seconds before trickling down like a teardrop and falling next to his foot.

  "So you want to play some ball, do you?" Stephanie said through a sneer. "Here, Moby Dick, catch this!" She flung her book at Sylvia, who caught it in one hand like a catcher snaring an errant pitch.

  "Coming back at you, Angelina Ballerina."

  "No!" shouted Jace. "This has gone far enough!"

  But Sylvia didn’t listen. She lifted the book up head high and fired it at Stephanie. Jace reached out and tried to grab the book in midair, but only managed to deflect it over his head toward a shelf full of canisters. The spinning paperback knocked one canister on its side, and for a second, the whole room seemed swallowed up in a cloud of flour. The cloud settled and Jace saw that the two girls were untouched. He, on the other hand, had flour on his hair, face, neck, shoulders, and arms. Both girls stared at him, and Sylvia put her hand to her mouth, as if restraining a giggle.

  "Sorry, Jace," Sylvia said. "And I’m sorry I lost my temper, Steph, but I’m not putting up with your insults anymore."

  "Yeah, I better be careful," said Stephanie. "Who know
s what you’ll do next time you flip your lid?"

  Sylvia walked over to Jace, brushed some of the flour off his shirt, and put her arm around his waist. "Don’t worry. I don’t think I’ll have to get angry at you again."

  Stephanie looked at the two of them for a moment and then dropped her head. "So what am I supposed to do? Stay with Carson?"

  Jace and Sylvia remained silent, and for a while there was no sound in the kitchen except the buzzing of a fly that circled the scattered potato peelings.

  "Get serious, you two," Stephanie finally said. "You both know what a selfish clod Carson is."

  "I just visited him," said Jace, shaking off more flour. "I think he may have changed some since ending up in a wheelchair."

  Stephanie put a hand to her chin. "You visited him?"

  "About an hour ago."

  "And he’s in a wheelchair?"

  "At least for now."

  Stephanie's face went blank, and her normally beautiful features seemed lifeless and plain. Then, with no more than a glance toward Jace and Sylvia, she headed out of the kitchen.

  "Do you think she’s going to see Carson?" asked Jace.

  "Maybe," replied Sylvia. "But you’ve already seen Carson today." She paused and put her arms around his shoulders. "So you can stay here with me."

  "Or we can go over to Bostwick’s for ice cream." Jace reached in his back pocket and pulled out the gift certificates the Valkyries had given him.

  "Where’d you get those?" said Sylvia.

  "They’re a gift from the team. It’s their way of thanking us for coaching them this season."

  Sylvia became misty-eyed. "What a great bunch of kids."

  "And crazy enough to want us to coach them next year, too."

  "Do you think your mother will let us?"

  Jace put the gift certificates back in his pocket. "Maybe. Let’s talk about it over a sundae."

  "You're on, cowboy," Sylvia said. She pointed at the peelings and flour spots on the floor. "I think we better clean up this mess before we go."