Strike One

Chapter 16: Nick Suchy's Girlfriend

Whitney's Point of View:

I pull my bike next to my car under my car port. Yes, I have a car here, I drove myself here - but I just rarely use it. I actually hate driving ever sense, well you know. It's a 2014 Toyota Camry, so nothing special but gets decent gas mileage. I feel like my car fits my personality; it gets the job done. I hate that this is how I view myself. My mother always told me to fake it till you make and to dress for the job you want. Hence why I wear athletic clothes all the time, I'm a softball player - and right now that’s what I want to be/do.

After I get into my dorm building, I run up the stairs, I have an unrealistic fear of enclosed staircases - I literally have to sprint up them and I try to get to the next floor before the door clothes on the floor I just left. I'm only on the second floor here so it's not a major issue but I swear I am being judged every time I get on my floor, and someone is outside of their dorm and seems me out of breath at the top of the stairs.

Once I get upstairs and into my room, I close the door behind me and melt down the back of it with my cell phone in my hands. I should call or text him. I should, I left him probably incredibly confused out there. It was honestly perfect, I just wasn't prepared, I thought I was leaving, and he caught me like a damn fish on a line and reeled me back in. I was all off balance... gosh, it was perfect. I acted like a fool; I ran away. I throw myself on my bed and as I stare at the ceiling, I decide I won’t text him. I don’t want to seem clingy or anything.

I get a text from Hutch that softball is on ESPN, so I decide to flip to that channel on my TV. As I was flipping, I came across my picture quickly, and so I go back to the local Fox Sports Detroit channel and it’s discussing my first game tomorrow, along with my father who played for the Tigers. They showed his damn car accident! I'm beyond applaud. My phone beeps that a text message has come through:

Chandler: Don't turn on Fox Sports

Me: You're too late.

Chandler: I'm coming back over.

Me: Why would they do that?

Chandler: Because they want any story that will catch viewers interest... is it ok? No.

Luke and I are coming.

I don't respond there is no point, I've determined that already he doesn't listen when I tell him not to do things. Besides, I could probably use the company - at least that is what my therapist told me when things get overwhelming to surround myself with people. I'm pacing back and forth in my very tiny dorm room trying to figure out what to do, I don't need publicity. I don't need people following me or trying to catch the new scoop. Hopefully, this just boils over, and everyone forgets.

My door swings open and its Chandler and he grabs me into a hug, Luke follows behind and hugs me too. It's nice. These two big athletic men, who went out of their way to come here to make sure I was ok. Chandler taps Lucas and he leaves my dorm. I look at Chandler, but he recognizes my confusion, "He's going to get Abi." I nod. He grabs my cheeks, "I'm here for you, however you want me to be here for you. I will be that guy. If you want to be just friends, I'll respect that, if you want me to be a protective sidekick, I can do that, though I'd love for you to tell me you'd want to see where this (he points between the two of us) will go... that’s neither the time or place to decide." I chastely kiss his lips, letting him know I do want more but right now, It's just too much.

He nods, and kisses me very tenderly, "we will figure this all out, we are getting Abi involved to get Hutch involved - don't worry. The entire team will know, the baseball team already knows, we will protect you. We're a family," he tells me. He hugs me in a deep embrace as Abi and Luke bust through the door.

Chandler lets go of me, and Abi takes over in the hug method. Luke informs Chandler that the entire baseball and softball team know and there are already reporters outside waiting to get an interview with me. They all inform me not to go down there and that Hutch is on her way over here to take care of the press. To all of our surprise, we all get an alert on our phones indicating that Nick Suchy has taken an interview and informed the media that I am his girlfriend, and he expects amazing things of me tomorrow at the game.

Everyone just stares at me. Hutch walks into my room, "Suchy? Ewe, I expected way more out of you than that dweeb," she says. We all choke literally on air because that was legit the coolest thing an adult could have possibly said. Abi laughs, "Suchy would be lucky for Whitney to even give him the time of day, let alone become his girlfriend. That’s a lie Hutch, we need to tell the news outlets that, that is false information,” she explains. I interrupt, "No, I don't want to talk to the news outlets. Please, I'm really not ready for that type of limelight. My father did his absolute best to keep me from it as best he could, I don't want to be in front of cameras," I explain.

Hutch grabs my hands, "We're not going to put you in front of the cameras, I will go out there set the record straight and inform the public that in light of recent tragedies Whitney would respect her privacy at this time but appreciates everyone cheering her and the Wolverines on. Though Mr. Suchy believes he’s dating one of my players, I can assure you he is not. I will then address them directly to please respect your wishes as the loss of her father is still very new to her. Blah Blah Blah, Go Blue," Hutch informs me. I nod and agree. Hutch leaves to go address the news outlets downstairs.

Chandler comes back over and hugs me again, "I'm going to kill him," he tells me, obviously speaking about Nick. I smile, "Jealous of my make-believe boyfriend." I tease him. He shrugs his shoulders and kisses my cheek. "Nah, I'm not jealous. I think if we are being completely honest. Suchy is jealous of you. He has always been in the limelight, as a player in Ohio - he was supposed to get drafted - but his personality - no one wants. He see's you, knows who you are and immediatley tries to attach himself to you. I mean he tried to drug you. Which I believe he would have taken pictures or something while you were knocked out or something... I don't want to think about it. Regardless, I'm here. I'm with you. That's all that matters to me. So, if you ever want me to leave, just say the word," he tells me.

I nod, hug him and thank all of them for coming over. We see Hutch deliver the message on the television and I tell everyone they should go home, we have a big day tomorrow and we all need our rest. Abi and Luke depart, Chandler closes the door quickly and grabs me in a deep embrace. He kisses my cheek and leans back, "I'm here, anyways you want me to be here. I'm not telling you we need to put a label on this, but if you need too. I can do that. If you want me to be your friend, I can figure that out too. You know I like you; I just don't want what he has done to mess up what we have going on," he tells me. I nod, a tear exits one of my eyes, Chandler grabs it with the pad of his thumb and replaces it with a kiss.

He looks deep into my eyes, "If you want me to beat him up, I can do that too, just say the word pretty girl." I smile at the notion and thinking of him getting his head knocked around a time or two by Chandler makes me a little less stiff. I thank him and give him one more hug before he leaves my dorm.

I lay down on my bed thinking how on earth I got myself here... I almost expect my mother to text or call me by now as someone has had to tell her they saw my "boyfriend" on TV. But no such luck, sometimes I wish she would call more but its times like these that I'm actually grateful she doesn't. I don’t want to hear the hurt in her voice when she has to mention my father or the loss of him. I'm afraid for the day when I do introduce her to someone and she has to see me happy... I'm afraid it will make her less happy.

With that last thought, I finally fall asleep after what seems to have been one of the most amazing and hellish days of my existence all wrapped up in a bow.