The Gummy Vitamin Strikeout

The lightning flashing across the sky matched the electricity in my stomach. Tryouts. Today. The one day I'd been mentally prepping for since February, and Mom decides now is the time to push her new wellness routine on me.

"These are organic, brain-boosting vitamins," she'd said that morning, pressing a bottle of neon-orange gummies into my hand. "Great for focus. Take two."

I'd pocketed them, feeling like a fraud already. Focus wasn't something vitamins could fix when you were the only girl trying out for the varsity baseball team and half the guys were already placing bets on how fast you'd wash out.

The field was a mud pit from last night's storm. Coach Martinez was hitting grounders to a freshman who looked like he might throw up. I adjusted my cap, trying to look like I belonged. Like I wasn't checking my phone every thirty seconds for texts from my best friend Briana, who'd promised to "manifest" this for me using TikTok crystals.

"Henson! You're up!" Coach's voice cut through my spiral.

I stepped into the batter's box, heart hammering. The pitcher—Jason, who I'd had a crush on since seventh grade—gave me this tiny nod. Almost encouraging. Or maybe pitying. I couldn't tell.

First pitch: ball. Way outside. I didn't swing.

Second pitch: strike. Right down the middle. I froze.

Lightning flickered on the horizon. Storm coming back. Everyone looked up, then at Coach, then at me. The moment stretched, sticky and suspended.

Third pitch came fast. I didn't think. I just swung.

CRACK.

The ball soared over the left fielder's head. I dropped the bat and ran, legs pumping, mud splashing up my calves. I rounded first, kept going. Second. Third. My lungs burned but I didn't care. I slid into home, breathless, muddy, alive.

"Safe!" the ump yelled.

For a second, nobody moved. Then Jason whooped from the mound. Someone started clapping. Then everyone was clapping.

"Nice hit, Henson," Coach said, actually writing something down on his clipboard. "We'll post the roster tomorrow. Don't stay out too long—storm's coming in."

I walked home in the drizzle, grinning so hard my face hurt. The vitamin gummies were still in my pocket, melting into a sticky orange blob. I fished them out and tossed them into a storm drain.

Some things you don't need to swallow to feel strong.