Chapter 2-Benching Her.
1280 Words
CHAPTER 2.
BENCHING HER.
Chloe's point of view.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I descended the stairs, stepping into the morning sun.
The campus was already buzzing. I slipped out my glasses and kept my head down,letting the noise drown out the pain in my chest. No one knew about our relationship. That was the only silver lining.When Scott parades his new girlfriend no one will look at me with pity.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, I checked and it was my best friend Lena. She just sent me a new cleaning job to attend to. I hesitated for a moment then decided to take the job. Without wasting time I headed straight there. No time to grieve over my broken heart now, Bills doesn't wait and mom needs every dollar for her treatment.
It was a dorm on campus, but not one of the main school dorms—a private one. As I walked, an intense war raged between my heart and my mind. I still found it hard to believe I had been the only one who thought we were dating. To me it had been real. To Scott, it was just… a phase.
I reached the place in twenty minutes. I drew in a deep breath before walking inside, heading straight to the room Lena had described. I paused and knocked several times, but no one answered. I let myself in using the code lena gave me and I was greeted with dust and cobwebs. It felt like the owner had passed away years ago. I got to work and almost halfway in my eyes landed on a familiar family portrait on the wall. My stomach twisted.
It was the same photo I usually see in Scott's room. I moved closer, my fingers brushing the edge of the polished frame. It was the same family portrait: a handsome man with one arm wrapped around a graceful woman, both smiling warmly at the camera. Between them stood two boys who looked almost identical, their matching dark hair and mischievous grins making it obvious they were brothers.
I recognized the couple immediately—they were Scott’s parents. The boy on the left was unmistakably Scott as a child, his smile brighter than the one he wore now. My gaze shifted to the other boy. Same sharp jaw. Same striking eyes. Same smile. Almost like a reflection of their father. Every time I had pointed him out in the picture, Scott’s expression would darken. He would roll his eyes, change the subject, or walk away without answering. After asking twice, I had given up, assuming it was a brother he’d lost… someone too painful to talk about.
I stared at the portrait again, a chill creeping down my spine.
About an hour later, I was finally done. The room looked completely different. The dust was gone, the bed was neatly made, and sunlight now poured through the windows, giving life to what had once felt like an abandoned space.
I grabbed my bag and quietly let myself out trying to push the strange feeling aside .The walk back to my dorm was peaceful—until I reached the main hallway connecting the sports complex to the residence halls. Students crowded every corner. Some were practically bouncing with excitement, others had their phones out, recording videos or texting frantically. The entire hallway buzzed like something huge had happened.
“Did you hear?” a girl squealed. “Rebecca is here!”
“No way! No f*****g way, I can’t believe Rebecca Brooks actually transferred to Ashwood campus!”
I stiffened instantly at the mention of that name—the one I prayed not to hear. It dragged me right back to what had happened this morning. I swallowed hard and kept walking, slower this time just to hear them.
“They’re saying she’s joining the baseball team this semester!”
“The Rebecca Brooks?” another guy exclaimed. “The one who carried Westlake to the national championship?”
“I watched her highlights all summer!” someone else chimed in. “Her batting average is insane.”
“I heard she can play every position.”
“No, catcher is her best position and she eats the f**k out of it.”
“Forget catcher,” another student laughed. “That girl can practically win games by herself.”
“And she’s gorgeous.”
“I heard Coach personally fought to bring her here.”
Laughter and excited chatter erupted through the hallway. I adjusted the strap of my bag and continued walking. I didn’t care what news she brought. When I finally reached the room, Lena wasn’t there. Perfect. No one to bombard me with questions. I slipped into bed. Sleep didn’t come easily,I was nursing a broken heart but it came eventually.
The next morning, as early as eight, I was already dressed for practice. This was our first game of the season, and we needed to make a strong impression. I stood in front of the mirror, giving myself a pep talk. I needed to keep my head high when I see Scott today. He’s the pitcher, and I'm the best catcher on the team. We make a formidable duo, I have to do this. I can’t run away, no matter how much I want to. For me, it wasn’t just about the team—it was also about my scholarship. I can’t f**k this up, or I’ll be dropped.
The familiar scent of freshly cut grass greeted me the moment I stepped onto Ashwood’s baseball field. Morning sunlight spilled across the perfectly groomed diamond, making the white chalk lines gleam against the rich brown dirt. The bleachers were already filling with students even though practice hadn’t officially begun. Music blasted from the speakers while teammates stretched, laughed, and tossed baseballs back and forth.
Usually this place calmed me. Today, my stomach was tied in knots knowing who I would see. I tightened the straps of my catching gear and walked toward the dugout, forcing myself to focus. One pitch at a time. One inning at a time.
I joined the group of players, my eyes darting around in search of the renowned Becca Brooks. I finally caught a glimpse of her. She was quite beautiful—I hated to admit it. She looked like she belonged on magazine covers.
I looked away before she or Scott could notice me. I don’t care. She’s just another player. Nothing more.
“Chloe.” Scott’s familiar voice made my heart stop. I turned around slowly. He jogged toward me, a baseball spinning lazily in his hand.
“Been looking all over for you. You came late,” he said with a small laugh. “Have you met Becca yet?”
I swallowed hard, forcing my expression to stay neutral. “Well, it doesn’t seem like anyone has started practising yet. I’m still early.”
“Yeah, we haven’t started. We were waiting for you.”
I blinked. “Waiting for me?”
“Yep.” He casually rested the baseball against his hip. “I kind of reshuffled the lineup this morning. I figured it’d be best for the team. We need to make sure there are no mistakes this season.”
A strange sense of dread crawled into my chest as he continued.
“Rebecca’s going to be catching for me from now on.”
My fingers loosened around my glove. It felt like I’d just been punched in the gut. “What? I don’t understand.”
“Well… for now.” He shrugged. “You’ll be benched for the first game.Maybe longer.”
- Writer
