Court Side Confessions

My hair was doing that thing again—the thing where it defied physics, humidity, and every single hair product I'd wasted thirty bucks on. I'd spent twenty minutes trying to flatten the rebellious curls before practice, but apparently my hair had other plans. Great. Just what I needed when Jordan was actually going to be there today.

I walked up to the padel courts, my heart doing that annoying fluttery thing it always did when Jordan was around. Jordan, with the perfect messy bun that somehow always looked intentional. Jordan, who'd joined our padel club last month and immediately become everyone's favorite doubles partner. Jordan, who I'd caught staring at me during warm-ups yesterday, though I was probably overthinking it because that's what I do best.

"Hey!" Jordan waved, racket in hand. "Saved you a spot on Court 3."

My stomach did a full gymnastics routine. "Cool. Cool cool cool." Why was I like this?

We were playing mixed doubles when I spotted something I hadn't noticed before—tucked inside Jordan's bag was a baseball glove. Not just any glove, either. That was a Rawlings Heart of the Hide, the serious stuff.

"Wait, you play baseball?" I asked during a water break, trying to sound casual instead of weirdly intense about this discovery.

Jordan's face lit up in a way I'd never seen before. "Yeah! Used to play travel ball until my family moved here last summer. This town doesn't really have a league, so I joined padel instead." Jordan's expression fell slightly. "Honestly, I miss it. A lot."

"I played too," I said. "Shortstop until I blew out my shoulder freshman year."

Jordan's eyes went wide. "No way. Hey, there's an old field behind the middle school. Some of us were gonna hit around this Saturday if you wanna...?"

"I'd love to."

I might have messaged up an easy shot later that game. I might have tripped over my own feet going for a volley. I definitely had the worst hair day ever. But as Jordan and I walked to our bikes after practice, making plans for Saturday, I decided maybe chaotic hair and clumsy padel moments weren't so bad after all.

Some first swings are worth missing.