Nick met Jake in college, Saint Joseph's University, and since then the two have been tied at the hip. The only thing they loved more than each other was baseball. When Jake was asked to pick an assistant to help him out, he didn't even have to blink. He knew he wanted Nick by his side. No one on Earth understood him better.
Nick and Jake knew each other so well, they spoke in sync most of the time. They always had a good laugh about it but what Jake loved most about Nick was that there was never a dull moment with him. Something interesting always happened. Like when Jake got his wisdom teeth out and forgot to tell Nick and Nick almost freaked out when Jake wasn't at practice. Jake rarely, if ever, missed a practice and after the fact, it was funny for Nick to text Jake in a panic. Obviously, it wasn't funny at the time but it was a good memory they had. Or the time they both took a trip to Jersey while on a spring break at college and a bird pooped on Nick's hat as Jake ducked out of the way. Jake had never laughed harder in his life. Or the time they won the national championship in college with Nick catching and Jake on the mound. The hug they both received that day was unlike anything. The emotions were so high. It was as if everything was dialed to ten. They both would never forget that day.
Jake couldn't help but reminisce as he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. A new baseball season always brought about a sort of smell to the air, an unforgettable feeling that something life-changing was about to happen. Something good. Jake had never really thought about being a coach but after his dad had seen him adjust his brother Garrett's swing as an assistant coach for his little league team, his dad always made sure to tell Jake that he thought he had something.
"You have a gift," he would say. "Use it"
After his dad's death, Jake was sure he was at his lowest. Some days even Nick couldn't get him out of bed and out of his misery. And Nick tried. It hurt him that Jake was hurting that much even after all these years and it took that phone call from Brennan saying Jake got the job to get his best friend back. And Nick was eternally grateful.
Jake rolled over in bed, grabbing his phone, checking the time. It was 8 am. Tryouts started at eleven. He had time. He threw the covers back and typed out his message to Nick.
Ready to go, partner?- Jake 8:02 am
Nick replied back in a matter of seconds as his reply made Jake smile.
Ready to fly, partner- Nick 8:02 am
Ever since college, that was their special greeting and it never failed to make either guy happy. Jake could feel Nick smiling from the other end of the phone. He just knew it. He set his phone back on the end table and stood up, taking a deep breath. He stripped off his clothes and made his way to the shower, letting the warm water run over his body, cold from the sheets. Jake used the time to put together his thoughts for the tryout. He would write them down on paper later. He got out of the shower, the steam coating the mirror as he wiped it away with his hand. Jake wrapped a towel around his waist and started out of the bathroom towards his closet. He dried off and slipped into his black sweatpants and red and black Brennan coaches jacket. It sort of felt surreal putting it on. He gelled his hair and slowly put the black hat on, the red hue of the cursive B making Jake take a look at his appearance. He sat down and tied his black and white Nike's, folding the hems of his sweatpants over them. He grabbed his phone and walked down the stairs into his kitchen.
His house was small but big enough for a few people to come over. It was usually just Nick, Jake, and maybe some guys from baseball but not enough to have a full-on blast. But Jake was okay with that. He only really liked Nick out of all of them anyway. He opened the fridge door and got his dark blue water bottle off the shelf. He had put it there to chill last night, knowing he wouldn't want to waste time to fill it. He opened the top and took a sip, swallowing a mouthful. He closed the fridge door and grabbed his backpack, holding it in his hand as he approached the mirror by his front door. He stopped for a moment as he adjusted his cap. He smiled slightly at his reflection, a few tears squeezing out of his eyes. He just couldn't believe it. His hand shook as he adjusted his jacket and gave himself one final look.
Dang. He really looked like his dad.
Jake unlocked his front door and walked out to his car. He grabbed his fire engine red bucket from his garage along with his fungo bat. He placed both of them in his trunk as he then hopped in and started his engine. He pulled out carefully and started the very short ride to Brennan High.
Brennan was a small school for its time, only housing about 250 to 300 kids. But parents and students both liked it that way. It was big enough to have space but small enough that pretty much everyone knew anyone. It was also why the rumor that Jake was coaching baseball this year traveled so fast. Not only was Brennan small- It was a total rumor mill. They cultivated them like they were corn kernels that needed to be processed into the food we could eat. Jake was just glad he had a good reputation. Isn't everyone? He was pulled out of his reverie of reminiscing when his phone lit up with a facetime call from Nick. He smiled as he set his phone in the holder and positioned it on him as he answered.
"Hey Nick," Jake said with the expected giddiness of a child with a lollipop.
Nick's brown hair was halfway hidden under the same hat Jake was wearing. His brown eyes had the same light that Jake's probably did. It said, "I'm ready to go. Bring on the new adventure. I'm ready"
Nick's same Brennan coaches jacket could be seen at the edge of the screen, the italicized red lettering catching the light from a window near him. Nick's million-watt Crest toothpaste smile glared back at Jake from the screen as the scene changed. Nick got into his car and positioned his phone in front of him.
"Hey, Jake. 'You excited?"
Jake gripped the steering wheel as he took a deep breath, his shoulders moving towards his chin as he sighed and then let them back down slowly.
"I think so"
Nick looked behind him as he pulled his car out and then turned back to Jake.
"Hey, look at me. We're gonna be fine. You remember what I said to you before you struck out Carter Frok to win nationals?"
Jake smiled as he nodded. "Of course I do"
There had been two outs and one to go till SJU won nationals the year Jake had been pitching the best season he had ever had. The count was two balls, two strikes, and Nick, good old Nick, could tell his pitcher was freaking out. So, he did what any good catcher would do. He signaled time to the umpire and slung his arm around Jake's shoulder and massaged it a little as he said, "There is nothing we can't do together. No matter what happens. But I know you can do this. So you are gonna throw a damn strike right now and we are gonna win this whole thing"
For someone who didn't know who Nick was, that might have sounded threatening but in truth? It was exactly what Jake needed. And on the next pitch, he threw a perfect called strike. A changeup. The best pitch he had that season. And he would always remember what Nick had said.
"That still stands true, you know? Today's gonna be good, I know it," Nick said, breaking Jake out of another daydream that he found himself floating in. There was a moment of silence as the two guys drove on their respective roads until Jake cleared his throat and spoke.
"So, Jim Krank said he'd meet us at the main field, right?"
"Right. Have you ever met him before?" Nick asked, looking over his shoulder.
Jake stopped at a light and shook his head, taking a sip out of his water bottle.
"Nope. Oh, wait, actually, just once. When I got this job. But that was just briefly. I don't really remember him," Jake replied as he set his water bottle back in the cup holder and forged his car ahead when the light turned green.
Nick nodded and adjusted his phone. "Alright. You liked him?"
"I liked him enough," Jake chuckled as he watched Nick do the same.
"I can live with that," Nick said, still laughing.
Jake turned a corner and started to see the school in view.
"I'm here. I'll see you soon, alright?""
"Yep. Ready to go?"
"Ready to go," Nick replied, giving Jake a thumbs up.
Nick smiled and ended the call as Jake took another deep breath and pulled into the gravel driveway. The school sat atop a small hill, the driveway Jake was driving on now paving the way past it. The school had three fields. The high school one was being used for tryouts today. The field down below, closer to the middle school, that belonged to the respective school. And the field that no one really took care of. The grass in the outfield was overgrown and looked like it hadn't been mowed in months, or maybe years.
Jake pulled into the parking lot, putting his hand on the key as he took it out, checking his phone clock. It was almost 10:15. He was right on time for tryouts to start as planned. He opened his car door and closed it, looking in front of him at the field ahead. He was so excited, but it was more than that. He was filled with joy at the fact that he was about to meet some kids who were as crazy about baseball as him. It was gonna make it easier to teach them all he knew. And he got to do it with his best friend. He couldn't ask for a better life.
He walked around to his trunk and popped it open. He grabbed the gray, rusting handle of his red bucket and set it on the ground. Jake placed his black bat next to it and shut his trunk. He looked up and smiled as he watched Nick walk down the hill, turning around to lock his car. His gray shorts hung loosely around his thighs as he walked, his black Brennan shirt and red jacket blowing in the breeze. His hat was hanging in his hand, as he used it to wave to Jake, returning a smile that might have been bigger than the one Jake shot him. Which was saying something. As Nick made his way down, Jake took the opportunity to survey the rest of his surroundings. The high school field, the field they were gonna be on, was right in front of them. Jake could see some white tables set up near both dugouts and some chairs. A few people were milling around and walking to the field and back from a door in the building adjacent to the complex. Jake tried to find Jim Krank and Nick walked up next to him and hugged him. Nick didn't tell Jake but he could feel Jake shaking ever so slightly. Nick made sure the hug was extra long and special. They pulled apart and Nick looked around with Jake.
"This is a nice complex," he said, nodding.
"Yeah seriously. Everything looks brand new almost," Jake said, picking up his bucket again, adjusting his hat. "Well, we should get up there and try to find Jim"
"Right. Well, let's go then," Nick said, smiling and squinting in the bright sun at Jake. He saw Jake take a deep breath as he smiled at Nick.
"Okay, let's go"
The pair made their way through the wet grass and all the way to the field. They unlocked the gate and walked alongside the dugout. Nick took a glance at Jake.
He was watching the field with a look that Nick had only seen once before- when he struck out Carter Frok. It was a look of complete gratefulness and joy that made Nick smile even bigger.
When Jake and Nick got to the white table placed behind home plate, a man walked around it to them. His hair was to his shoulders and black. There were white streaks in the pieces around his ears and the ends. He was wearing the same shirts and jackets Jake and Nick were wearing and his smile was big and welcoming.
"Hello! Jake and Nick?" he questioned, cocking his head and offering out a hand to shake.
"Yep, that's us," Jake said, accepting the handshake. "I'm Jake Wolff," he said.
Jim nodded his head and shook Nick's hand. "I know who you are, Coach. Just messing when I asked your names, I know who you are"
That sentence made shivers go up and down Jake's arms. Coach. He was definitely gonna have to get used to that. And Jim Krank knew who he was?
"Uh, sorry, sir. How do you know me?" Jake asked, his voice shaking slightly in awe.
"Uh, Allstar of the Year 2016 and 2017, National Champion for SJU Baseball, Incredibly fundamentally sound shortstop. Unreal pitcher. And I knew your dad. Gosh damn, you look like him"
Nick looked from Jim to Jake and smiled, just happy to be present to see the look on Jake's face right now.
"I get that a lot," Jake said as he smiled.
"I'll bet. You got the same eyes. Alright, enough of me being a fanboy. We got work to do. You guys can set your stuff down at two of these chairs behind this table and I'll walk you through our process"
Jake and Nick placed their stuff down as Jim left them to go check on something. Nick turned to Jake.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sick to my stomach? Feel like I'm gonna puke? But excited and unbelievably happy at the same time?" he replied, laughing softly. Nick put his hands on Jake's shoulders and Jake groaned knowing what was coming. He learned after being friends with Nick that he absolutely loved to give pep talks. But he was pretty good at them so he made them bearable.
"Look at me. You are going to kill this job. Okay? I feel it in my heart. And you know my heart is wrong 0% of the time, right? The life that is behind you, okay? Listen to me... That doesn't matter. The life in front of you right now- these amazing high school kids that we're about to meet, me- matters more than that life you are leaving behind. So, never doubt that you can't make a difference. You've made me a better person. I'm a living testament to this, alright?"
"Okay," Jake said softly. "You know I like freakin 'love you, man?"
"I know. I'm pretty awesome," Nick laughed as he hugged Jake. Just then, Jim came back and rubbed his hands together.
"Alright. So we have a system for doing this. We're expecting at least 50 kids"
"At least?" Nick asked, cocking his head. Jake was as confused.
Jim sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "Sometimes we have kids show up and we never had a name on the list. So yeah, at least. We could have more. Could have less. Sorry I can't give you a set number"
"No, no, no. That's okay! I was just confused," Nick smiled as he tried to defend himself.
"You're good, Coach. I encourage questions," Jim said, winking at him. "So every kid we have gets a number which we have right here"
Jim walked over to the table and picked up a few sheets of paper. They were squares of stickers with big, black numbers on them.
"They should put them on their shirts on the front. Not the back. We tried that before and it was just an awful decision. We had to make everyone turn around all the time and yeah, it was a mess. So, we do it this way now. Our policy on notes- every coach can take some. You see a kid you like, write his number down. He just might be on your team, alright? And then at the end, we just line 'em up and you pick the numbers you want. I'll have you introduce yourself before we start," Jim said, motioning to Jake.
"And then you can pick first and I'll take my picks then"
"What happens to the kids we don't get? They just don't get placed on a team?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. Exactly. They can try out next year but unfortunately, if we don't have room, we don't have room," Jim said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Alright, that makes sense," Jake replied, looking around at the field again.
"Do you have any more questions?" Jim asked.
Jake and Nick shook their heads.
"No? Okay, good. Nice to meet you both. Relax. You guys are gonna do great. Kids will start showing up soon. The field is pretty much set but I'll come to get you if I need you to set anything up"
"Okay, thanks so much, Jim. We appreciate the opportunity," Nick said, smiling as he shook Jim's hand.
"Of course, guys. Wolff, you deserve this," Jim said, tipping his cap to Jake as he walked away.
Nick watched him walk away and took a glance at Jake.
"He's pretty cool"
"Yeah, he is," Jake said. He was smiling now and was feeling a little better about this. He gazed out at the field and couldn't help but have his mind race to all the memories he was about to create. They had a beautiful day for tryouts! It was sunny and warm, with a slight breeze and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The field was nicely raked and there wasn't a speck of grass in the dirt. The grass in the outfield was freshly mowed and other than the white tables all over the place, there was a calmness to the whole scene.
Jake couldn't help but think of his father as he watched the kids trickle in, being instructed to put their bags along the fence. He thought of how much this meant to his father and the fact that he wasn't there to see it. As heavy as the thought made Jake's heart feel, he shook himself out of it and remembered what Nick told him. To live in the present.
And that was always easy to do when he was in the place that would be home forever.
For the next 20 minutes or so, Jake and Nick were crazy busy setting cones and bases out for drills, handing out stickers to kids who came in, and getting their brains ready to take some notes. Finally, it was time to get started. Jim and a few other people whom Jake and Nick hadn't met just yet stood all the kids in groups. Freshman near third. Sophomores at short. Juniors at second and the four seniors at the mound. Yeah, only four seniors. The largest groups were the sophomores and juniors.
Nick and Jake sat side by side in two chairs behind the white table, facing outward towards the groups in the field as Jim addressed them. Jake's excitement bubbled over as he heard Jim talk.
"Hello everyone and welcome to Brennan High's annual baseball tryouts!" Jim said, shouting so he could be heard in all directions. There were a few cheers and shouts as Jake and Nick exchanged glances.
"The sophomores, juniors, and seniors know how this works. You guys will walk the freshman through how we do things. Right?" Jim said, walking up and down the lines, smiling and nodding at the kids. Jim walked towards the table and stood next to Jake and Nick.
"We have some new faces with us this year and I wanted to give them time to introduce themselves a little bit. Guys?" Jim motioned to Jake as Jake felt him shake as he moved his chair back and stood up.
This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for. Now the only thing he had to do was try not to puke when he opened his mouth. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, and took one final glance at Nick before he cleared his throat.
"Hey everyone. My name is Jake Wolff and I'm going to be the varsity coach for
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