Page 22 of True Honey
“Enough, focus on the problem,” I said, “Josh needs these games, but he’d be better off with the bye week. Can Reyes pull out the next two wins?” I asked.
Coach hesitated, looking at Arlo for answers which only made Nick angrier. I could feel the steam rolling off his shoulders between the four of us.
“He’s going to need all the help he can get, but—”
No one pitches like Josh.
That was the unsaid consensus.
“Fine,” Coach said. I could see the thoughts spinning behind his eyes. “We make up for the runs in the field. If a ball is hit, a ball is caught. There can’t be a single error made.” He wasn’t really talking to us, more to himself, but we all listened intently to the plan.
I could feel Josh’s stare burning a hole in my back.
“Break the news,” Arlo snapped at Nick who looked like he wanted to put his fist through his face.
“If you’re having an issue with the way I coach my pitchers, Arlo, speak up because throwing a hissy fit about it is incredibly unprofessional,” Nick said.
Arlo stiffened. “What’s unprofessional is you pushing these kids to a breaking point, like dad did to you and you did to me,” he said, holding up his hand. The scars from his surgery had started to heal and fade but his pitching hand would never be the same. “Now you’re killing another career, and for what? Revenge because you couldn’t make it in the minors?”
The conversation was starting to get louder and as the game ended, players flooded into the dugout surrounding them when they all should have been celebrating the hard win.
“You get more and more like Dad every day,” Arlo growled when Nick stepped forward trying to be tough, “Mom would be proud.”
That was the snap. Nick flew across the divide and the two of them started to wrestle back and forth in a ball of angry words and violent fists. The dugout exploded with hollering as the brothers tossed each other around, Van shoved through the bodies wrapping himself around Nicholas until he was able to haul him backward off Arlo with one forceful heave.
“Get the fuck off my field!” Coach blocked his path and barked as Arlo stepped forward to attack his brother again. “Cool off,” he warned, “we’ll have a meeting tomorrow morning.”
Ella took to checking over Arlo. “You can check him,” she grumbled in passing and looked over my shoulder at Nicholas bleeding from the nose.Christ.
Players started moving around like normal after the fight died down and I shifted through the dugout to confirm Nicholas’s nose wasn’t broken.
“Why do you do that?” I asked him, feeling along the bridge for any abnormalities.
“He started that fight,” Nick grunted when I hit a tender spot.
“Noyoudid,” I sighed, “he’s your little brother stop being his number one enemy and have his back now and then, you’re supposed to be a team,” I said.
“Sorry I forgot you have six months of experience being a brother under your belt and now you’re the authority on family dynamics,” Nick huffed in anger.
“You’re jealous and resentful, and you’re acting like Arthur.” I snapped my words and his nose back into place.
“He called me a pussy and I’m the resentful one?” Nick shoved me off and gave his sore nose a tiny wiggle.
“That fight wasn’t about Josh’s pitching schedule and you know it. Talk to him, and be an adult about it because Coach is getting pretty sick of these arguments and you know exactly who his favorite is.” I warned as he walked away from me. “And for future reference Nicholas,” I said before the dugout door slammed shut, he stopped to look at me once more, “I’ve always hadbrothers—Arlo, this team, Josh... and once, even you. So if you ever throw that in my face again I’ll make sure you get to call in all those other great job opportunities.”
Nick scoffed, a sick annoyed smirk forming on his face and suddenly I wish Arlo had hit him a little harder. He didn’t say anything but he stared at me for a moment longer before finally letting the door close and disappearing, scurrying away like the cockroach he was.
When the dugout was finally empty I leaned over the padded banister and looked up at the stadium as everyone started to file out now that the game was finished. With the stadium quiet I finally inhaled, filling my chest with fresh air and slowing it back down to a normal pace.
I didn’t even notice him return until he leaned on the bannister beside me.
“Are you okay?” Josh asked, his dark eyes looking up and out at the diamond.
“Yeah, sometimes I like to stand out here after the game in between that time when the laughter and cheering of drunk college students is fading and before the crew start cleaning away the cans and spilled popcorn. It’s—”
“Quiet,” Josh cut me off and nodded gently in understanding. “I’m screwed aren’t I?” He asked after a long bout of silence.
“Not completely, but you’re going to have to sit out the next few games and we’re going to have to overhaul your therapy during the bye-week,” I explained. “It’s that or you play on Thursday and never play again. Your choice.”
