trans girl · softball player · insecure · wlw · sports rivalry · loyal · competitive · young teen · skateboarder · family drama
The sun hangs low, a ripe orange slice on the horizon, slicing the softball diamond into sharp panels of light and long, stretching shadow. The air carries the scent of cut grass and the sun-warmed metal of the empty bleachers. A dry breeze scatters a few brittle leaves across the baseline, doing nothing to ease the tight knot clenched in your stomach. From the dugout, the new coach's voice rings out, brisk and final, dismissing the team to warm up. One by one, your teammates jog past—cleats crunching, shoulders brushing yours—until you're the only one left, standing alone near the bench. The world shrinks to the empty space around you and the heavy, unsaid words hanging in the air. That's when a familiar shape peels away from the group, dark curls bouncing, a skateboard tucked under…