Part fourteen – From the Heart

    "I can't believe that we made it to the championships this year!" Josie commented eagerly to Anita and Aldys. The three of them were sitting in the bleachers watching the two teams warm up. "I mean when was the last time that the Chicago Sun-Times team actually made it this far?"

    "As much as I hate to voice this out loud, I'm sure that Rob had a lot to do with that." Anita remarked, glancing over to where Rob and Sam were having a tête-à-tête by the pitcher's mound.

    "Why do you hate to say that out loud?" Aldys, Rob's now official girlfriend asked curiously. "Isn't it good to give praise where praise is due?"

    "Of course it is." Anita readily agreed. "But that adorable boyfriend of yours tends to take things to extremes, especially where baseball is concerned. If he heard me giving him credit for getting us this far, next year he'll be even more insufferable then he was this year."

    Josie laughed knowingly. "If that's at all possible! He's been pretty bad as it is." Glancing down at her watch she noted the time. "Speaking of the beast, I'd better get down there and warm up before he notices that I'm not out there."

    "Break a leg, Champ!" Anita teased lightly.

    "Gee thanks." Sending her friend an amused smile Josie put her baseball cap on and started trotting down the steps to the field.  She was so excited about today's game. She had a feeling in her gut that today was going to be the day. The day that Sam finally proposed to her. She'd been waiting for him to try again after that failed attempt last month shortly after Sheila's accident. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to be Mrs. Samuel James Coulson. These last few months as Sam's girlfriend had been wonderful. In the confines of his love she had finally put all her insecurities aside and had come to realize just what a valuable and special person she was. She'd finally managed to exercise Billy Prince and the rest of her High School bullies from her life. It had been a real liberating experience. One that made her feel much stronger and more self-assured. Unfortunately, that didn't make her anymore sure footed.

    Just as she reached the last step her foot caught on the unlevel edge and she started plunging head first into the field. Suddenly her fall was stayed as a pair of muscular arms grabbed her, pulling her against a broad chest. "Are you okay?" A male voice asked with visible concern.

    Josie nodded her head against the chest, a bright stain burning her cheeks. As she pushed herself gently away she mumbled an apology. "I'm sorry. My mother always warned me about running down stairs."

    "Hey, it's okay." He told her easily, an amused smile on his face. "I always enjoy having a beautiful woman fall for me." Josie flushed even hotter at his comment and kept her eyes down. She couldn't bare to look him in the eye. "But maybe before we get married we should try dating a bit first." At those words she looked up at him and then nearly gaped in surprise. He gave her a curious look, but took her reaction in stride. Extending his hand he introduced. "My name's Bill Prince. What's yours?"

    "Josie." She whispered, her eyes still wide as she unconsciously reached out and shook his hand.

    "Well, Josie it's a pleasure to meet you." He told her sincerely, giving her a pleasant smile. "What do you say about going out and getting a pizza after the game? We can celebrate together."

    "Celebrate?"  She gave him a puzzled look.

    "Sure," He acknowledged eagerly. "We're on opposite teams after all. One of us is going to be needing to celebrate. What do you say? Looser buys winner supper. Or winner buys looser supper. Whatever I end up being that allows me to buy for you. What do you say? We can get better acquainted over pepperoni." He flashed her a charming smile.

    Josie's eyes narrowed slightly as she gave him an angry look. "I think that you and I are well enough acquainted, Mr. Prince." She told him coolly. "As a matter of fact, as far as I'm concerned I wish that you and I had never met." Then without another word she turned on her heels and fled back to the dressing rooms. Bill gaped in astonishment after her.

    "What did you say to her?" An angry voice demanded from behind him. Bill turned around and found an all too familiar face behind him. He felt his jaw start to ache as his mind traveled back to the last time he'd seen this young man so upset.

    Holding his hands up in surrender Bill said lightly. "Hey, Rob, how's it going?"

    "What did you say to her?" Rob demanded again, his eyes sparking with hatred.
    "Nothing!" Bill insisted earnestly. "She tripped on the stairs, I caught her, we said 'hi', I introduced myself and invited her out for supper after the game and then she flipped and took off. I swear to you, Rob I never did anything to her! I was a complete gentleman. I was even charming."

    "That would be a first." Rob spat out bitingly. "I don't think you've ever been any of those when it comes to her. You certainly weren't on Prom Night and she's lived with that for the last eight years of her life." Bill frowned at him, not understanding what he was talking about. Suddenly Rob realized that the other man hadn't recognized his sister.

    "What's going on over here?" Another voice suddenly interrupted the pair. Rob and Bill looked over to see Sam approaching them, a concerned look on his face. Looking at Rob he added. "You've got Gus in a panic. He thinks that you're about to take a round out of the other team's shortstop." He gave Bill a friendly smile and gestured towards Rob. "I hope this guy hasn't been giving you too much of a hard time. He tends to get a little over zealous when it comes to baseball."

    Bill gave Rob a cautious look. "Yeah, I've heard that."

    "Sam, this has nothing to do with baseball or the game." Rob quickly informed the other man. "This is about Josie."

    "What about Josie?" Sam's concern returned, the pit of his stomach tightening up as he awaited Rob's reply.

    "Sam, I'd like you to meet the scum ball who made Josie's Senior Prom night a living hell." Rob glared at the man. "Mr. Billy Prince."

    Bill watched nervously as Sam's face registered several different emotions: surprise, revolution, confusion, anger, hatred. Finally he seemed to settle on one and spoke, his tone one of controlled fury. "So, you're the guy who's responsible for Josie's insecurities."

    "I..." Bill began to speak but Sam cut him off.

    "And you're the guy who treated her like dirt on what should have been the most special and memorable night of her High School career."

    "I didn't..." Bill tried again, but Sam once again interrupted him.

    "You know something, you are an incredibly stupid man." When Bill raised his eyebrows at him he continued. "You had the admiration and adoration of the most incredible young woman that I have ever met and you just threw it away. If that's not stupidity, I don't know what is."

    "I know she's great." Bill acknowledged, finally managing to say something. Sam and Rob both gave him a surprised look. "But she's just so..."                      

    "Amazing." Sam supplied. "Intelligent, witty, crazy. Not to mention the most beautiful woman that I've ever laid my eyes on." By the time he finished he was looking past Bill to Josie who was standing behind him, tears in her eyes.

    Bill looked over his shoulder and was surprised to find the young woman that he'd stopped from falling earlier. Suddenly something clicked and his jaw dropped to his shoes. "Josie Geller?"

    "That's right." Josie nodded, glancing at Sam for courage. She had come back to the field just in time to hear what Sam had said to Billy. If she'd thought she couldn't love Sam anymore than she did five minutes ago, she was wrong. She loved him so much more now.

    "Wow!" Billy exclaimed after giving her the once over twice. "You look wonderful!" At the flicker of surprise in her eyes he quickly insisted. "I mean it, you look terrific!"

    "I'm afraid your praise is a little late, Mr. Prince." Sam told the other man seriously as he walked over to Josie and slid a possessive arm around her waist. "I'm afraid you blew your chance at this prize catch." He looked down at Josie and gave her a loving smile. "She's already spoken for. And I'm smart enough to realize what I treasure I have." Josie favored him with a tender smile and leaned up to give him a kiss. When they pulled away Sam gave her waist a squeeze and then turned his attention back to Bill. "I guess I should be thanking you for your great act of stupidity."

    "What do you mean?" Bill gave Sam a confused frown.

    "Well, isn't it obvious?" Sam replied lightly. "Your loss is my gain. And I can assure you that I am never letting her go." Once again he turned his smile on Josie.

    Josie returned the look of affection before looking back to the man who had ruined her life for so long. "You know, for a longtime I let what you did to me affect how I viewed myself. Every time I looked in mirror all I could see was 'Josie Grossie'."

    "I didn't start that nickname." Bill pointed out a little defensively. He jerked his finger towards Rob. "That was your brother's invention."

    "Hey, don't shift the blame." Rob objected seriously. "I've already come clean about that. Besides, that nickname was nothing compared to what you did to her! You humiliated her to the lowest! You..."

    "It's okay, Rob!" Josie's exclamation interrupted her infuriated brother. When he looked at her she gave him a small smile. "Rob, I appreciate you standing up for me." She looked at Sam. "Both of you." Then squaring her shoulders she added. "But this is my battle and one that I have to fight for myself."

    A proud smile spread across Sam's face as her confident attitude. Giving her waist a tight squeeze he said. "I always knew you could." He gave her a tender kiss before releasing her. Looking at her brother Sam encouraged. "Come on, Rob. There's something that I need your help with."

    Rob continued to glare at Bill until Josie gave him a gentle shove. "Go on, little brother. I can handle things from here."

    Rob gave her a skeptical look for several moments before finally nodding. "Okay, but if you need anything I'll just be over here."

    "I appreciate that Rob." She gave him a warm smile. "But I'll be okay." She gave Billy a cool look. "He has no power over me anymore." She shifted her gaze to Sam and gave him a warm smile. Sam reached over and gave her arm a supportive squeeze.              

    "Come on, Rob." He encouraged his companion. "Let's go get ready."

    As Sam and Rob moved off Josie turned her attention back to the young man who had haunted her dreams and plagued her life for eight long years. She was surprised to find that he was watching her nervously, maybe even a bit shamefully now that they were alone. Josie opened her mouth to begin the speech that she had so carefully rehearsed a few minutes ago in the locker room. She was really going to let him have it for all the horrible, uncalled for things that he had done to her Promo night and during the weeks that followed. He'd made her life a living nightmare, the memory of those weeks affecting her life right up to now. But all that hurt, all the anger, all the cutting remarks died instantly on her lips with Billy's next words.

    "I am so sorry." Josie blinked a couple of times at his heartfelt apology, not sure she had heard him right. But Bill took advantage of the silence and rushed on. "I don't blame you for being angry with me - for hating me even, but please believe me when I say that I am really and truly sorry for what happened."

    "Why?" Josie took him back by the question.

    "Why?" He repeated, not quite sure what she was looking for.

    "Why did you do it?" She asked, her tone very cool and controlled. "Why did you take what should have been one of the greatest nights of my life and turn it into a horror fest? Why did you do that?"

    "It was Mike's idea." Bill told her honestly. "It was all Mike." Mike Fenton had been Billy's best friend in High School. When Josie had read the poem that she had written for Billy in front of the class, Mike had sat behind Billy and laughed and thumped his friend on the shoulders the whole time. "He was the one that put me up to it. He was the one that made the videotape, who posted the pictures, who set the whole thing up. It was all Mike."

    "But why did you go along with it?" She pressed, her tone trembling slightly. "Why did you throw eggs at me? Why did you flaunt your gorgeous cheerleader date in my face? Why did you let Mike do all that other stuff?"

    Heavy silence hung in the air as she awaited his reply. "Because I was a chicken." He finally admitted shamefully. With a deep sigh he started to explain. "I knew you had a crush on me, hell the whole school knew it. You weren't exactly subtle about the fact." Josie flushed slightly at the memory of how she'd continually fawned and fussed over him. "Anyway, Mike use to have a hay day teasing me about it. He was really getting quite obnoxious about the whole thing. Then the day that you read that poem...well he really thought that was great. He rode me the rest of the day about it until I'd finally had enough." He colored slightly as he told her. "Truth be told, I really liked your poem. As a matter of fact, I was really touched that you'd bother to write it, especially after the fact that I'd always made fun of you before that."

    "Then..."

    "Why?" He finished with a knowing smile. Billy sighed and sat down on a cement step at the base of the stairs that Josie had earlier tripped down. Looking at his hands for a few moments he paused before looking up at her and admitting. "Because in my anger with Mike I unintentionally confessed that I liked your poem."

    She was very tempted to dismiss his words as false, but her experience with the cool kids at South Glen South helped her to understand exactly how big a faux pas such an admission on his part would have been in the High School inner social circles. Sitting down on the step beside him she nodded her head and said. "I see. So, let me guess. Mike used that little piece of information to blackmail you into humiliating me."

    "Exactly." He nodded his head. "He said that he'd tell the whole school that I was in love with you if I didn't go along with him. And my 'cheerleader date' was actually his girlfriend sent to make sure that I didn't back out at the last minute. She wasn't even suppose to show herself. That was her idea at the last minute."

    Josie gave him a careful look before gently asking. "What would have been so wrong with everyone thinking you at least like me. All social standing aside."

    "Nothing, in retrospect." He confessed honestly. "But right then everything. I was one of the most popular boys in school and you were..."

    "Josie Grossie."  She finished when he hesitated. He gave her an embarrassed look. She looked out to the ball field where the two teams were warming up. "Five months ago I would have said that you were lying to me. That you were trying to shift the blame and weasel out of taking responsibility for what you had done. But due to some events since then I'm inclined to believe you. I'm not saying that I'm ready to forgive you, at least not yet, but at least I don't hate you anymore. As a matter of fact I feel sorry for you." She gave him a sorrowful look. "I feel sorry for you because you missed out on what could have been, if nothing else, a wonderful friendship. Believe it or not I have turned out to be a pretty amazing person, or so I've been told. I'm smart, I'm funny and I'm really quite beautiful both inside and out. If I was you I'd be kicking myself pretty hard for missing out on a pretty good catch." Josie told him all this without the slightest hint of pomposity or egotism. She was merely stating the facts that she had recently come to learn and accept herself. She was surprised when he nodded his head in agreement.

    "I do." He gave her a sad little smile. "You really are amazing, Josie Geller. And I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Maybe one day we can even be friends."

    "Maybe." She acknowledged neutrally, not willing to commit to anything at this point. The sat in silence for several minutes as they continued to watch their respective teams warm up. Eventually Josie asked. "So what happened to Mike? You two still good friends?"

    With his eyes still fixed on the two teams Billy replied. "I won't be seeing him for at least another five to ten." When she looked at him in confusion he added. "Mike's in Joliet."

    Josie's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

    "Armed Robbery." Bill replied. "Held up a bank a couple of years ago from what I hear. I hadn't seen him really since a year or so after High School."

    "So you lost your High School best friend too." Josie mused soberly, glancing slightly towards him. "Looks like we have something in common after all."

    Billy looked at her sorrowful face and prompted gently. "What happened?"

    Josie gazed unseeingly back to the ball players. "She was killed in a car accident last month."

    There was a long pause as Billy struggled to find something to say. Finally he settled for a simple. "I'm sorry."

    Josie nodded in acknowledgement of his sympathy, but suddenly found that she was struggling to hold back tears. Not wanting him to see her cry she suddenly jumped to her feet and rambled. "I should really go warm up before Gus has a fit."

    "Gus your boyfriend?" Billy queried, also rising to his feet.

    Josie shook her head. "No, Gus is my boss and our coach. My boyfriend's name is Sam."

    "He seems like a nice enough guy." Billy remarked, noticing that the man in question was watching them carefully from the pitcher's mound. "And he certainly seems to adore you."

    Josie smiled and followed Billy's gaze. "Yes he does. And the feeling is quite mutual. He is a wonderful man."

    "Well, I'm glad that you've found happiness." Billy told her earnestly, reaching over and taking her hand in both of his. "You deserve it. And please believe me when I say that I'm really very sorry for what happened Prom night and during the weeks that followed. If its any consolation, after I healed from the beating Rob gave me for what happened, I inflicted the exact same thing on Mike."

    Josie gave him a slightly amused smile. "It makes me feel somewhat better." Her expression sobered slightly as she admitted. "I'm glad we ran into each other today. Now I think I may be able to finally let go of the rest of the pain I've been harboring since High School and move on with my life."

    "I'm glad that I could help." He told her. "But I'm sorry that I inflicted the pain on you in the first place."

    "Well at least now I know that it wasn't entirely your fault." She commented thoughtfully. "I'm not sure why, but that thought helps take a lot of the sting out of what happened."

    Billy gave her a slow smile and shook his head in obvious wonderment. "You know something, you were right  You really are amazing." He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "I wish you all the best." He whispered into her ear before giving her hand one final squeeze and moving off to join his teammates on the field. Josie watched him go, a mixture of surprise and confusion washing over her.

    For eight years she had wondered what it would be like to see him again. For eight years she had run hundreds of different scenarios over and over in her mind. What she'd say, what he would say, what she'd do. And now that it had finally happened she found that none of those scenarios had come true. That was because not once did she expect or imagine that he would ask her forgiveness. Never in a million years would she have suspected that he had been put up to it, that he himself had been a victim of an even more evil mastermind. Or that all this had happened because he had voice to his best friend that he had liked her poem.

    Before her experience at South Glen South she would never have believed such an explanation. She would probably have laughed in his face and accused him of telling tales, but her experience there had given her an inside understanding of the inner workings of the in crowd that she'd never had before. She hadn't realized before then that the popular kids were just as much a slave to opinion of their peers as the other kids were. Perhaps even more so because they were more in the spotlight. She was very grateful that she'd had the opportunity to acquire that knowledge since it would definitely help speed up the healing process.

    Josie shifted her attention back to the ball field and noticed that it was now devoid of players. Glancing at her watch she realized it was only five minutes 'til game time. Looking back up again she was surprised to find Sam standing on the pitcher's mound, a microphone in his hand.

    "Josie Geller, would you please come to the pitcher's mound." He paged over the sound system.

    "What's he up to?" Josie mused to herself as she headed towards her boyfriend at a slow jog. "What's going on?" She asked him when she reached the pitcher's mound.

    Sam just gave her a warm smile and reached out to take her hand in his. Josie was vaguely aware that there was music playing over the ball field’s stereo system. Her eyes widened slightly and her lips formed a perfect 'O' as Sam began singing the lyrics to Lonestar's new song Amazed:

Every time our eyes meet,

This feeling inside me,

Is almost more than I can take.

Baby when you touch me,

I can feel how much you love me,

And it just blows me away.

I've never been this close to anyone, or anything

I can hear your thoughts,

I can see your dreams.

I don't know how you do what you do,

I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better.

I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side.

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do,

Baby I'm amazed by you."

    Josie found herself unable to move or to even breathe as she tried hard to comprehend what was going on. It felt like a dream. Here she was, standing on the pitcher's mound of a ball field before hundreds of onlookers, being serenaded by her wonderfully romantic boyfriend, who she was surprised to learn had a terrific voice. She strongly suspected that her earlier 'feeling' was coming true. That she was right now being proposed to by the most wonderful man she had ever met.  She found herself trembling slightly with anticipation as he continued to sing:

The smell of your skin,

The taste of your kiss,

The way you whisper in the dark.

Your hair all around me, baby you surround me.

You touch every place in my heart.

Oh it feels like the first time, every time.

I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes.

I don't know how you do what you do,

I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better.

I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side.

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do,

Baby I'm amazed by you."

    Josie watched wordlessly as Sam went down on one knee and released her hand to pull a small velvet box out of his pocket. Opening it to show her the ring he finished the last lyrics of the song:

Every little thing that you do,

I'm so in love with you,

It just keeps getting better.

I wanna spend the rest of my life,

With you by my side,

Forever and ever.

Every little thing that you do,

Baby, I'm amazed by you."

    "Josie Geller, I love you. Will you marry me?"

    Josie felt tears spring into her eyes as she whispered softly. "Yes." The next thing she next knew Sam was on his feet and kissing her tenderly on the lips, all his love and emotions pouring into the kiss as cheers and applause exploded around them.

    After a few moments Sam pulled back and brought her attention back to the ring he still held in his hand. Taking her left hand in his he held the ring just at the tip of her ring finger. "May I?" He asked with a smile.

    "You may." She assured him and couldn't help the tears that fell as he slipped the gold and diamond rind on her finger. After admiring it for a couple moments she pronounced. "It's beautiful." Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you."

    "I love you too." He hugged her tightly and then kissed her again. They were interrupted by the sound of Rob clearing his throat.

    "Sorry guys." Rob actually did look embarrassed about interrupting them. "But the ump says its time to play ball."

    Sam nodded and looked back to Josie. "You ready to play a little baseball?"

    "With you in my life, I'm ready for anything." She exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

Author’s Note: This is for everyone who wanted to see the kiss on the ball field.

THE END

(finally)

HOME