Free Out of Left Field: Marlee's Story by Barbara L. Clanton Page A

back. “I had to stop you. It would have been a close play at home, and I can’t risk you getting injured.”
    “That’s okay,” Marlee panted. “I’m tired anyway.” She took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully.
    “And this way you hit for the cycle. Way to go, kiddo,” Coach Spears added. She stepped back into her coaching box and wrote something in her scorebook.
    “The cycle? My dad told me what that was, but I forgot.” Marlee didn’t have time to get an explanation from her coach because Lisa stepped up to the plate and smacked a homer over the center field fence. She smacked the ball so far it hit the high school building, just like Susie’s grand slam had done. The fans, and Lisa had many, exploded in frenzied excitement.
    In the top of the seventh and final inning, Marlee threw nine pitches to strike out the side. Game over, victory secured, Lisa ran to the pitcher’s circle and went nose to nose with Marlee.
    Through her catcher’s mask Lisa yelled, “Nice win, Marlee.”
    “Yeah,” Marlee snarled back. Lisa whipped off her catcher’s mask and her long dark braid swung wildly as they growled and bared their teeth at each other. Marlee threw an arm around Lisa on their way to the high-five line with the Northwood team.
    Jeri jumped on Marlee from behind once they were through the high-five line. “All-County Pitcher!”
    “Thanks,” Marlee said. “Nice base stealing today.”
    Jeri nodded in thanks. “And girl, that was an awesome last inning. Three strikeouts in a row.” Jeri high-fived her.
    Lisa added, “Yeah, but—”
    “But I walked too many batters this game.” Marlee finished Lisa’s sentence. Lisa nodded in agreement.
    Jeri persisted. “Yeah, but you hit for the cycle, too.”
    “What is that?” Marlee asked perplexed.
    “So naïve,” Jeri answered. “It’s when you hit one of each: a single, double, triple, and a homer. Too bad it wasn’t a grand slammer. You know, like...” she gestured in the general direction of East Valley, “what’s her name.”
    “Uh, yeah,” Lisa teased. “What’s up with that, Marlee? Slackin’?”
    “Oh, shut up. Both of you.” Marlee eyed each one in turn. “C’mon, let’s go to the locker room.”
    Just as the words came out of her mouth, Coach Spears appeared.
    “Marlee. Real nice hitting today.”
    “Thanks, Coach.”
    “Can you come by my office as soon as you get your equipment?” And then her coach purposely turned from Marlee and looked to the parking lot. Marlee followed her gaze and gasped. Bobby was in the parking lot lounging against the hood of his Camaro. She had not seen him earlier. Marlee was embarrassed that Coach Spears heard her reaction at seeing him.
    “Okay, Coach,” she stumbled. “Can I talk to Bobby first? I’ll just be a second.” Maybe Bobby wanted to apologize for his no-show on Saturday, but Marlee didn’t know if she was ready to forgive him.
    “Of course.” Coach Spears turned toward the school. “I’ll be in my office.”
    The rain clouds made good on their threat. Marlee, Jeri, and Lisa picked up their equipment and jogged toward the girls’ locker room through the now-falling drizzle. Marlee veered toward Bobby while Jeri and Lisa headed up the steps leading to the locker room. Jeri and Lisa held their softball bags over their heads to ward off the light rain.
    Jeri called back, “Marlee, do you still want me to drive you home?”
    “Uh...” Marlee stopped and shuffled her feet. “Just hang out, okay?”
    “Okay.” Jeri’s tone was guarded.
    Marlee watched her friends go up the steps together. She turned toward the emptying parking lot. As she approached Bobby, he slid off the hood of the car and waited for her. In the twenty seconds it took for her to reach him, a thousand different thoughts went through her head. Why hadn’t he called? Why was he here now? And why was he hanging out in the parking lot and not sitting in the bleachers watching the game?
    She shifted her