Chapter 30
1157words
"Visser I need to see you in my office," the coach says as we're all in the locker room changing after practice.
Dropping everything I walk over to the coach's office.
"Oh god," I'm stopped as soon as I walk in to find Gentry already sitting in there. Sighing I shut the door and stand next to it, "yes, Coach?"
"Come sit down Shane," he gestures to the chair next to Gentry and I reluctantly walk over sitting down. Looking between us he starts, "you
two are going to be the death of my team—"
"Wait I didn't do anything," I quickly defend, "whatever it is don't look at me" "Calm down Shane you guys aren't in trouble,"
"Good to know you'd throw me under the bus if we were," Gentry says to me. "What's going on?"
"Your first game back on the team is after thanksgiving break, if you guys don't figure out how to play with each other we're screwed, you get that right?" Not answering both Gentry and I slightly nod, "look you're both great players and if I bench both of you we'll definitely lose. So, I need you guys to figure out how to make this work"
"Done," I stand up, "as long as Gentry—"
"Sit down Shane" coach cuts me off, "it's going to take a whole lot more than words, the last couple weeks between you two have been weird as hell, and after last month's incident, I'm not taking chances. I need you guys to figure your shit out over break so I can have my team back"
"Figure our shit out how?" Gentry asks for both of us "Spend break together and hash it out," he suggests
"What?" I react, "no! That's crazy I'm not spending my break with him," looking at Gentry I say, "look
just leave me alone and I'll leave you
alone, see?" I turn to Coach, "problem solved" "Either you agree to this or you're both off the team"
"What the fuck?!" I react loudly then coach scolds at me instantly calming me down, "this is so
unfair, how are those our only options?"
"You want things fair, Visser? Stop acting like freaking kids and do what I say!" He raises his voice, "if you two aren't back here next week best fucking friends, say goodbye to baseball."
Not saying a word Gentry just nods and I'm still sitting here, dumbfounded by how I'm getting punished for him.
"Get out of my office," we stand up simultaneously walking out together.
The other guys are gone so it's just Gentry and I, standing against the lockers he watches as I'm changing and brooding. "I can't believe this is happening" I sigh after tying my shoes
"This is the best thing," I look over at him and the smile on his face
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because I fucking love this" he gets off the lockers coming closer to me, "I've spent the last 3 weeks trying to get closer to you and now
we have no choice but to get close. It's like someone's finally hearing my prayers" "Prayers?" I ask scoffing at the thought that Gentry McAllen has to pray for anything
"Yeah prayers," he nods, "I've asked for the chance to actually prove to you that I'm not a monster, and you have no choice but to give me that chance."
"Last month you said how you'd win my heart or whatever and it's been weeks of you trying and failing. How's this going to change anything?"
"Well five days at your house getting to know each other is all I need really" "My house? Who says we're going to my house?"
"Okay" he nods, "we can go to my house I have a huge family with 6 brothers and sisters. My house is always chaotic during thanksgiving, but my mom loves extra unexpected guests so—"
"Fine!" I groan, "we'll go to my house," no way I'm spending my thanksgiving in that chaos. Grabbing my phone I call my mom with Gentry still standing there, picking up my mom greets "hey
honey, are you on your way?"
"Hey no not yet, um I was calling because I wanted to know if it was ok to bring a friend home with me"
"What friend?"
"Just someone from the team, is it fine or not?" Please say no mom I'm counting on you
"Of course it's fine! It was just going to be the three of us this year, but the more the merrier so sure, bring him"
"Ok thanks ma... and can you let dad know for me?" "Sure Shane, we'll see you boys tonight then?"
"Yes see you later." I hang up and turn to Gentry whose grinning at me, "what?" "I didn't know we were friends again,"
"Seriously—" I stand releasing an annoyed breath, "go get your stuff and meet me out front, we
leave in 30."
"Great!" He rushes out of the locker room and I sit back down on the bench, taking out my phone I text Pen 'please tell me you're on the plane on your way back home,' of course if she's on the plane she won't be able to reply.
If you couldn't tell I'm already freaking the fuck out, not because I have to take Gentry back to where I grew up— I mean that's not helping, but that's not the worse problem. Things have actually been decent lately, after the whole ball to the face thing, Gentry did become a completely different person.
He'd text me every day, buy me food, and walk me home. It's all annoying because I told him I didn't need it and he should just give up, but he said never. Maybe I want to believe he actually likes me, no guy's ever tried this hard for me before. But it can't be Gentry, he can't be my first boyfriend, especially after everything.
The real problem is my parents, more specifically my dad. Steven Visser hates me, his gay son who makes a mockery of his favorite sport. I could be an astronaut living on Mars but because I'm gay my dad would never be proud. I started playing baseball so we'd have something in common, but when I came out I should've quit baseball, because to my dad gay guys playing any sport isn't real it's them ruining the sport with their agenda. My agenda was to turn baseball gay and make him hate it. I could never have guy friends around my dad because he'd keep calling them my boyfriend until they became uncomfortable enough to stop talking to me. That's why I only have Pen, and why if I bring Gentry near him I'm sure he'll find a way to ruin an already strained relationship. There's no way bringing Gentry to my house will bring us closer, my dad will make sure of that.
