I close my eyes and smile at the memory.
I put on my favorite strawberry lip gloss, hoping it’ll make me look older to him.
I know where to find him, he always goes to the field early to sit in the bleachers for a bit, to get his head in the game.
“Noah!” I exclaim, forcing my hands into my pockets so I don’t wave like a love-crazed eleven year old. “Hey.”
He gives me a lopsided grin as I reach him. “Hi, Audrey! Whatcha doing here so early?”
I sit beside him on the bleachers. “I, uh, made you something.”
“Yeah?”
I pull the green crocheted four-leaf clover out of my pocket, handing it to him. “I thought it could bring you luck, help you get a home run today.”
He runs his finger along the yarn, tracing the leaves with an expression I can’t read. “Thanks Aud-bre-a-die,” he stammers out and I giggle.
“Did you forget my name for a second there?” I work up the courage to knock my knee against his, and holy fudge does it send a shiver through my body.
He shakes his head. “No … I, er … was thinking Auddie is a cute nickname. Would you be okay if I called you Auddie?”
Butterflies flutter around in my stomach and I internally squeal. I’ve been Auds most of my life, but never Auddie.
I meet his eyes, aware my face is redder than his uniform. “I like it,” I whisper, holding in the nervous giggle.
“Deal, but if anyone else tries to call you Auddie, tell me and I’ll beat them up.”
My giggle erupts and I absentmindedly twirl my hair around my finger.
Reminding him, once again, how pathetically obsessed with him I am.
I run my fingers over the worn green yarn and smile. He got his mom to sew it into the inside the sleeve of his uniform and without fail he had always tapped it whenever he stepped up to bat.
It felt like secretly I was his lucky charm.
I hold it close to my chest as emotions swirl around me. I had assumed he’d lost it or thrown it out after all this time.
I can’t be the reason he doesn’t play well in his opening game.
Noah might not kill me if they lose, but Connor will, especially if he knows I have this.
I can’t remember the last time I crocheted, but seeing this after so many years makes my fingers twitch with longing. I find my box of yarn and open it, leading to an hour of crafting. It makes me want to pull my Cricut out too.
At the end of the night, while I lay in bed with a smile on my face, I know for certain that I definitely can’t miss the game.
And that a little piece of myself feels lighter.
Twelve: Noah
So High School - Taylor Swift
I’m nervous as hell. It’s not because I’m starting on a new team tonight and I’m worried I’ll let them down.
No.
I’m nervous to see Audrey. To see if she’s wearing my jersey.
Connor picked her and her friends up from the airport earlier this morning. When he showed up with my lucky charm in hand, he gave me a look that was a cross between “we’ll be discussing this later” and “thank you for getting her here” before heading to warm up.
