“Carrie! Carrie! Carrie!” her teammates cheered. They threw her on top of their shoulders, slapped her on her back and carried her off of the field. She basked in the feeling of the golden rays of sunshine as they seemed to kiss her face. Her bleached white, dirt stained uniform would forever remind her of this day. Nothing could explain the wide range of emotions she was feeling in that moment. She had won her first game: Genuine elation. Fierce pride. She thought back to when she first tried out for the team; all the obstacles she had faced to get to this moment...Suddenly, the sunshine around her didn't seem so sunny anymore...

                                     *    *    *    *
The sky was gray as little rays of sunshine peeked through the tense clouds. She  looked around the crowded baseball diamond as another girl ran off the field, crying. She felt a sliver of doubt pass through her as she sat there. What if that happened to her? She knew from the beginning that no one there would welcome her with open arms. The “stuck-up rich kid that doesn’t belong” was her name. No one knew how far from the truth that really was. She worked hard to get to where she was; things weren’t just handed to her on a silver platter. She looked up as Coach Cowell walked down the line of disquieted girls and stopped right in front of her, her footsteps crunching on the brown, dead patches of grass.
  “What are you doing here Carrie?” she asked harshly a malicious smirk on her face.
  “I’m here to try out for the team Coach,” Carrie replied nervously.
  “What team, my team? You think you have what it takes to make it on my team?” she sneered condescendingly. Whispers and snickers broke out all around her.
   “I hope so Coach,” Carrie replied grinning.
   “Well hope won’t get you on my team will it Carrie? Only talent will so why don’t you stop wasting everyone’s time and just go home!” she yelled angrily.
Carrie didn’t know why but Coach Cowell has always seemed to hate her for some unknown reason. In gym class she’s always the first person to get yelled at every time she does something wrong. Her Dad thinks that she’s only being extra hard on her because she knows how talented she is and wants her to live up to her full potential but deep down Carrie knows that that’s not it.
    “Carrie! Hello earth to Carrie! What’s the matter with you are you deaf? I’m talking to you!” she hollered her voice echoing throughout the diamond.
     Carrie shifted on her feet. “I’m sorry Coach, I wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?” Carrie asked.
    “I said get off my field because it’s quite obvious that you’re not going to try out,” she snarled.
Behind her the girls laughed loudly and pointed at Carrie. Feeling mortified and disenchanted Carrie hung her head, twisted her fingers together and slowly began to make her way off the field. She didn’t even have to turn around to know that Coach Cowell and her classmates were smirking and pointing at her. Carrie slowly crept towards the gate. Each step was like someone had tied laden sacks of coal to her sneakers. Humiliation and anger bubbled up in her like an exploding volcano. She looked towards the stands where a small crowd was gathered and caught her father’s gaze. He got up from his seat on the bench, descended down the bright red steps, and took confident strides toward her until he was right in front of her.
    “What are you doing Carrie? The field is that way. Why are you walking away?” he questioned.
    “I can’t do this Dad, I don’t know what I was thinking! She hates me, she’s never going to let me on the team!” she cried looking down at her sneakers.
    “She doesn’t hate you Carrie. She just wants you to reach your full potential that’s all,” he said scowling at her.
    “Yes she does Dad, you don’t see the way she treats me you’ll never understand,” she murmured walking around him to the stands.
    “You’re right Carrie, I may not understand but what I do know is that nothing and no one should stand in the way of what you want. If this is something you want, and I know it is go for it,” he said gently.
    She put her head in her hands running her fingers through her short, ginger red hair. “I don’t think I can do this Dad. What if I don’t make it?” she asked.
    “Then I’ll be here for you, and if you do make it then I’ll be over here cheering for you. You can do this Carrie you’re a Martin, Martin’s don’t quit!” he proclaimed walking back up the stairs.
Carrie sat there for a few minutes and pondered over her Dad’s words. Part of her wanted to go back there and give Coach Cowell a piece of her mind but the other part of her wanted to run out of there and never look back. But as usual her Dad was right she could do this and she would she decided, and no one was going to stop her. She jumped up, jogged back over to the field and flung the gate open.
    “Are there any more girl’s trying out for today? Is that everybody? Coach Cowell screeched.
    “No, there’s one more,” Carrie said coming up behind her.
    “Oh great, Carrie’s back. What a marvelous surprise!” she said sarcastically
    “I’m the last one and I’m ready so let’s get started,” Carrie replied.
    “Are you really going to go this time because if you’re not I’m sure you know where th--” she started.
    “I’ve already said that I was ready so are we going to do this or not?” Carrie interjected.
    “Alright Martin, let’s see what you got,” she said pulling out her clipboard.
Carrie trailed behind her and walked to the batter’s box as some other girl’s lined up on the bases.
    “Alright, I’m sure everybody already knows how this goes and if you don’t you probably shouldn’t be here so with that being said Jeter, you’re pitching and Carrie will be at bat. Carrie, this is for the last and final spot on my team so good luck,” she said.
Carrie picked up her bat with her sweaty palms, took a deep breath and nodded at the pitcher signaling that she was ready. The pitcher gave her a slight nod back and threw the ball. Carrie waited in anticipation for just the right moment, when the ball was just the right distance away like she had practiced so many times before. Just as she swung the bat she felt something wet and round hit the back of her neck making her jump and lose focus. She slammed her bat into the ground as the ball sailed past her.
    “STRIKE ONE!” Coach Cowell screamed.
Carrie looked at the ground to see what hit her..A spitball. She looked back at the girls on the benches behind her as they grinned and pointed at her. She sighed and once again repositioned herself. Hands on the bat. Feet and knees slightly bent. Shoulders and hips relaxed. She once again nodded at the pitcher and waited. The ball crept towards her and Carrie swung the bat.
    “STRIKE TWO!” Coach Cowell hollered.
Everybody was full on laughing at her now. Carrie squatted down and rested her forehead against her arms. Her Dad’s words from earlier rang loud and clear in her mind as she stood up and brushed off her jeans. She got into position for the final time and waited.
    “This is it Carrie,one more strike and you’re out,” Coach Cowell reminded her.
Carrie ignored her and instead focused on the task at hand. She could hear the other player’s still laughing and taunting her but that didn’t matter to her anymore. She imagined she was in her backyard with her Dad playing catch on Saturday morning’s: the crisp, early morning breeze, the dewy scent of flowers in the air and the bird’s chirping in the wind. The ball came flying towards her again but this time was a little different. It was like everything was moving in slow motion as she imagined her father standing down the field pitching the ball as they had practiced together so many times before. And this time when she hit the ball it flew, right out of the park...
                                     *    *    *    *
Carrie had almost forgotten where she was as she looked around the now empty locker room. She packed up her things and went outside to the parking lot where she was surprised to see Coach Cowell leaning against the wall on the side of the school.
    “What are you still doing here?” she asked curiously.
    “I could ask you the same thing. You do know everyone left about twenty minutes ago right?” she said laughing softly.
    “I was just doing some thinking,” Carrie replied softly.
    “Hmm, well don’t spend too much time thinking make sure you get home before it get’s dark,” she said.
Carrie nodded at her as she watched her walk away. She turned to walk away too when Coach Cowell stopped her.
    “I’m glad to have you on my team..you did good kid,” she said and walked away.
    “Yea, I guess I did,”...Carrie smiled and walked the other way...