For https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-374-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-sunflower-seeds
The sky rained spat sunflower seed shells. The air smelled like chili powder. Beneath the stadium, Lugo Edwards thought about his career and why oh why he had to throw that ball like that.
Lugo Edwards had been a star pitcher all through high school. He hadn't thought he had anything left to learn, but playing college ball was a different matter, and he'd had to learn to put more curve on his curveball, more screw on his screwball and more knuckle on his knuckleball. He'd felt exhausted every day for the past 4 years, but he'd finally gotten his balls all up to snuff. Better'n some pros, even if he wasn't one of the greats. He figured he'd get drafted and work deep in the bullpen, getting groomed for greatness by the best.
But today had been a big day. His little college had gone up against a division A college. It was ok, he thought, that he wasn't in division A games. These little trials for the big schools to beat the little schools meant that scouts would still accidentally see him. He was good, but he got it... not every school knew what they were missing. Plus, he liked the worship he got here. This was the place for him.
But why oh why... He thought, "I'm cleverer than the manager at this podunk." I know better than a never-going-anyplace-not-even-the-minors catcher I can out-pitch the home-run hero that this big ol' school thinks is untouchable.
I CAN DO MORE THAN THEY THINK I CAN
And, who knows, maybe he can. But he didn't. He shrugged off the intentional walk even though it was bases empty, 2 outs already, and a feeling that the next fool up was gonna be easy to sucker.
His screwball had lost its screw, and it looked like a lob designed to be a home run. Because that's what it wound up becoming.
Sunflower seeds were his confetti.