“Now batting for the Tar Heels, center fielder, number 15, David Thompson, number 15.”  The P.A. man announced resembling the introductions of the late Bob Sheppard did for the Yankees for nearly 60 years.

David had reached base safely in his three previous plate appearances: Two hits and a walk, along with five stolen bases on the day. He was having himself a very solid game, giving the opposing pitcher, Kevin Serrano who he had played against for years, fits in the box and on the bases. This type of performance was nothing out of the ordinary, especially against their conference rivals, Duke. As if the the matchup against Duke wasn't enough to set the stage, he recalled the 17U tournament in Greensboro the summer after senior year and how Serrano and his team shared a hotel.
           
  *    *    *

“D, you can’t catch up with my stuff. Everyone knows you have no answer for the high ched bro,” Serrano bragged.

“I just don't see where you get that idea from. I've been turning on your fastball since we were nine playing Babe Ruth ball.”

“Big difference is I'm throwing 90 now, and you're still the same scrawny p***y you've been your whole life.”
David got up, shook his head, and walked away before his hot temper got the best of him. He went on to take Serrano’s 90 mph fastball yard, touching all the bases the following day in the semi-final game for the go ahead run.
                                                              ************
David brought even more of an edge to this game than usual looking to repeat that performance, and even more just to shut Serrano up. He knew he had Serrano's number today and he decided to toy with him a bit. David stepped in the right handed batter’s box, right foot planted, followed by the left. He looked towards the pitcher’s mound and just as Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams, he winked at Serrano. Visibly the pitcher was enraged and the first pitch went whizzing behind David’s head, just as the second pitch. Both fastballs. Both with more intentions than putting David on the ground, but put in the back of an ambulance.

”Tough now? Can't get me out like a halfway decent pitcher so you try to knock me out of the game?” David questioned angrily while walking towards the pitcher's mound.

”Don't ever f***ing wink at me again. You got something coming your way,” Serrano snapped back.

The umpire grabbed David and brought him back to the box after issuing both teams a warning.

”Who's the p***y now?” David shouted wanting to get the last word in as he stepped in the box. He knew what was coming and frankly knew there was no avoiding it. If not him then one of his teammates, which would had left David feeling guilty. So David stepped in, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes as the pitch was released. Another fastball, but this one didn't miss.
   
  *    *    *
             

High school is a place to find your true identity, David struggled to do that. Besides baseball the only thing he knew was that he was hopelessly, irretrievably in love with Sarah Graham. He had no clue how to act on that though. The two grew up next door to each other and he always had a thing for her. She was home schooled and he went to private school on a baseball scholarship. With prom season right around the corner he jumped at his opportunity. David tried to be confident about asking her around his friends, but deep down he knew his chances were slim. He thought it was going to be just too weird for her.

”So when you asking your neighbor, D? You got a plan?”

”Yeah ya know me. I do my thing.” David laughed off despite really thinking When she says no to the 5’8 baseball robot I'm screeewwwed.

After a week or two of collecting himself, David finally decided to step out of his comfort zone and ask. He was going to go up to Sarah’s door after school, with a stuffed goat in his hand and say, “Will you GOAT prom with me?” She had a weird thing for goats, it was perfect. The final bell rang and David paced his way home. Going over his lines in his head the entire way he finally reached his street on the short walk home. He walked up the squeaky, wooden steps, knocked on the screen door and after a few seconds Sarah answered . Her light brown hair, that looked better every day he saw her. He saw her dark brown eyes, who some think are dull or ordinary, but David got lost in them every day. Her killer smile. David started loosing focus on what he needed to do and was centered on her elegance. By time he realized he needed to get the goat out from his bag, she was walking by him, “What’s up ya goon?”

David was so dazed he physically couldn't say anything. Finally he swallowed the golf ball of a lump in his throat and said, ”Hey,” now nervous and out of breath all that came out was, “Prom?” With huge goat outstretched towards her.

“What's with the goat?” Sarah asked him.

“Oh I uh I was supposed to say ‘Will you GOAT prom with me. Ya know, goat, go to, kinda sounds the same.”
Laughing hysterically Sarah said, “Of course I'll go with you.”

The preparation went into prom, dresses, tuxes, bus, everything. Finally the night came. After taking pictures with a big group of seniors, and eating, David and Sarah danced together to Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love With You. For almost two years David had been completely in love with this girl he was dancing with. If there was ever a time to express what he was feeling, it was now. He leaned in even closer than the two already were and whispered in Sarah’s ear.

Shocked Sarah pulled away. Not out of anger or disgust, just pure surprise she backed away, turned away from David, and ran out of the door. When you botch a routine play in baseball, there's a lonely feeling, no feeling that could be compared to when David stood on the floor alone as the girl he loved for his entire life essentially ran out of his life.

David couldn't bring himself to walk up those broken stairs to Sarah’s house as he had a million times before and talk to her, he couldn't even text her. Finally one morning while waiting for his ride to school, David saw Sarah’s mom put up a For Sale sign in their lawn, which already had a sold sticker on it. Within a week the Graham's were gone. No goodbyes, no telling where they were going, nothing. David tried to call Sarah one night and she actually changed her number.

There was so much emotion built up for those three years without Sarah around, not only did he lose any chance at being with the girl he loved, he also lost his lifelong best friend.

                                                                  ************

Slowly light began to break. An all white hospital room full with people. David’s parents, his older brother, grandparents, teammates, coaches, and the Grahams. This was the first time he saw them in three years, more than three years since he had seen or spoken to Sarah. His left eye swollen shut and 18 stitches from his check to bottom lip, David was pretty beat up, but the feeling of seeing Sarah numbed all the pain. Before David could say anything to her she leaned in and whispered in his ear.