"Good practice today girls! Now go home and rest. Game day tomorrow!" Coach says when practice is over. She's letting us out of practice 30 minutes early tonight since we have a game tomorrow and thank goodness too.

"You okay?" Nina runs up alongside of me as I walk towards my car, rubbing my throwing arm.

Nodding, I say, "Yeah. I just need to ice my arm. It is a little sore from practice. I was throwing pretty hard the last two days."

Nina stops as I unlock my door and throw my gear in the back seat. "You don't have to tell me that-," Nina lifts her hand up and starts rubbing the palm with her other hand, "I am your catcher remember? I have been the one catching those hard throws. My hand feels like it is about to fall off thanks to those hard balls coming at me. Poor Caleb." She says sarcastically.

I stand up, crossing both of my arms over the top of my car door and resting my chin on them. "What do you mean by poor Caleb?"

Nina smirks and wiggles her full brows. "You know...as in poor Caleb can't even get a hand job lately with my poor hurt hands." She whines jokingly.

I scrunch my nose and stick my tongue out. "Eww, gross. I regret asking that question now."

Nina giggles, "I am joking. Or am I?"

I shake my head and sit in my car, closing the door. "I am going now, pervert."

"What do you have planned for tonight?"

"I was just going to go by Dean's because he says he needs to talk to me and then go home and ice my arm for tomorrow."

My cell phone rings and I pick it up and see Marie's name on the screen and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie, it is me Marie. I know you have a game tomorrow but Jane got sick with the flu so Dean is coming in but it is getting really packed and he needs help. I am desperate, can you help?"

"Yeah sure, I just need to run home and change and I will be right in."

"Oh thank you honey! See you soon."

I put my phone down and turn the key in the ignition, the engine coming to life. "Scratch that, I am going to work." I tell Nina.

I arrived at the diner, parking my car next to Dean's jeep and decided to call my brother to let him know I was going to be at work for a while.

"Hey I just wanted to let you know I got called into the diner so I will be home around 11...ish."

"Oh really? Well in that case, we may just come to see you at work. Valerie kind of burnt dinner and I still have yet to come into the diner."

I hear Valerie yell in the background, "I didn't burn it, necessarily. It was just a little...browner than normal."

I laugh and told my brother I would see them soon and then put on my apron and rushed inside. Marie was not joking, the diner was packed. Every blue booth was filled with people.

"Thank god you are here." Dean pants and kisses my cheek before grabbing two plates and delivering them to a booth.

After about two hours of running around, it finally died down. With only three booths and a couple stragglers at the coffee bar it was the perfect time to stock up the sugars and ketchup on the tables.

"Thanks for helping me out Scar. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you tonight." Dean says as he finishes wiping down his last table.

"Not a problem." I say and smile at him. Dean looks absolutely tired with his heavy eyelids and dark bags under his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Who, me?" He points to his chest and I nod. "Oh yeah, I am fine. Just tired. Coach really worked us today since its game day tomorrow and I am beat to say the least."

"Well just go home, I can handle it from here. But before you go, what did you want to talk about?"

Dean digs his hands in both front pockets and holds his eye contact with me. "It, well, it can wait until tomorrow night after the game."

"I can't. I made plans to hang out with Nina, Anna, Marissa, and her brother." I state.

Dean furrows his eyebrows and looks annoyed. He groans, "Ugh, okay, how about Saturday night? Just you and I though."

I nod my head and he gives me and accepting smile. "I better go. Don't forget to wear your jersey tomorrow for school." He briefly pecks my lips with his, making sure not to make a big PDA scene with the customers, and leaves.

After I finished taking care of my three tables, there was only old man Jerry at the coffee bar when the bell chimes, signaling someone was entering. I look up to see Seth and Valerie, her cute little swollen belly showing more in the nude top that she is wearing.

"Hey guys, welcome to Marie's diner. Take a seat, anywhere is fine."

"Thanks Scar." Valerie smiles and says at the same time Seth smirks saying, "Can I request a different waitress?"

I elbow him lightly and he chuckles. I hand them both a menu as they sit down on the stools at the coffee bar. "Jerry, this is my brother Seth and his better half, Valerie. Guys, this is Jerry."

Jerry picks up his hot tea and raises it, greeting Seth and Valerie with a smile and they do the same.

"So, what is good around here?" Seth asks, glancing over the menu. I recommended the special, which happened to be fried chicken tonight, and they devoured it.

I am chatting with Seth and Valerie when I hear Marie walk behind me. "Scarlett, honey, I am going to get a cup of coffee and then head home. Can you close up the diner once you are done?"

I turn around and see Marie pouring coffee into her to-go-cup before she looks up at me. "Yeah of course Marie." I watch as she sets the coffee pot back down on the warmer and brings the styrofoam cup to her lips, a small smile appears on her face after her first sip. "Oh Marie, before you go, I want to introduce you to somebody."

I step to the side so I am out of her view of Seth and Valerie. "This is my brother Seth and his fiancé Valerie, and then in there is my soon to be niece or nephew." I point proudly at Valerie's tummy.

I hear a light thud and splash onto the rubber mats that Marie and I stand on behind the coffee bar, and observe the to-go-cup that Marie had, has splattered all over the floor. The hot liquid flowing out of the now broken cup.

"Y...your brother?" Marie stammers, frozen in her spot. Her eyes are wide and her face has an emotion plastered on it that I can't decipher what it is exactly. Worry or shock?

Marie brings her hands up over her mouth and she glances down at the mess on the floor, breaking the intense stare between her and my brother. I look at Seth and see Valerie is whispering into his ear, rubbing his back. Seth's eyes are just as wide as Marie's had been, like he had just seen a ghost. His hands are gripping the end of the coffee bar so tightly that his knuckles have turned white. I can practically smell the tension. Is it always this awkward introducing your guardian to your boyfriend's mom?

"Here, I got this Marie." I say quickly as I grab my rag and bend down to start wiping up the hot liquid. My attempt at escaping the awkwardness just for a moment.

"It's nice to meet you mam." I hear my brother say coolly as I clean up the mess.

I don't bother to look up when I hear Marie say, "Y-you too hun. Scarlett, I better get going, goodnight. Have a lovely evening." Her voice comes out soft but rushed. 

I watch as she rushes out of the door, looking back at my brother before disappearing. My brother stayed silent for the next ten minutes before him and Valerie left. The only thought on my mind, after that greeting is...

What the hell just happened?

____________________________________________________

It is always awkward, meeting the parents of your boyfriend or girlfriend. It is also awkward introducing them to your parents or guardians, because you hope they get along and like each other. 

How was that experience for you? Any funny reaction with your parents?

Why do you think Marie and Seth were so weird meeting each other for the first time?

 Stay tuned for the next inning!