The Brewer City Debacle

The Brewer City Debacle

“Quinn Martinez, you are way too over-dressed for a Milwaukee Brewers game.”
“Why?” Quinn furrowed her dark, pierced eyebrows and gave a pseudo-confused look, complete with her arms crossed. “Not my fault that I’m not a normal Wisconsin girl like you, Lucia.” Quinn was dressed in a leathery, black jacket, a dark, long-sleeved shirt with a red ribbon on the collar tied in a bow, and a red pencil skirt. A pair of leather high-heeled combat boots finished the outfit. Her half-shaven, lavender hair was freshly flat-ironed and accessorized by a headdress adorned with flowers pinned to the shaven side of her head. She completely upstaged Lucia, who was clad in her favorite rainbow shirt and jeans.
Lucia Golovanova was used to this type of rhetoric from Quinn. When you’re friends for a decade, you understand each other’s quirks. For Quinn, it was her sarcastic, monotone voice, abrasive attitude, a dark style of clothing and a knack for insults that got her off on the wrong foot with the average Wisconsinite population. However, Lucia knew Quinn didn’t mean any harm. She just didn’t want to fit in.
Unbeknownst to Lucia though, she was staring into space. “Hello? Earth to Lucia!” Quinn snapped her fingers. Lucia shook her short brown locks, her azure eyes finally getting life back to them. She was trying to get her head back into reality.
“Sorry for that. Just thinking.”
“Think all you want, dreamer. I’ll just go to the Brewers game by myself then.” Quinn said in a comical, but still dry tone. She played with her nails.
“Speaking of the Brewers game, we’re literally 10 minutes late!” A voice from across the room said in a panicked voice. It was a voice belonging to Nichole Letterman, Quinn and Lucia’s mutual friend. Nichole was a Brewers fanatic, to say the least. She adjusted the flowy sleeves on her floral printed dress nervously. Nichole opened her phone to check the score. “Great. We just missed Ryan Braun getting a home run.”
“Bet you Carmen’s gonna be all over that.” Lucia said, while bursting into laughter. Carmen was Quinn’s older sister by 4 years. Nevertheless, Carmen captured the title of Most Annoying Person for anyone she knew for more than 1 hour.
“You mean Future Baseball Wife?” Quinn said while cackling. Lucia was leaning over the black sofa, trying not to fall. Nichole cracked a giggle. Carmen always talked about her supposed baseball “acquaintances”, which people always thought were tall tales.
Meanwhile, Carmen was sitting at Brewer Park, alone with a bag of blue cotton candy. Carmen thought to herself, “Where could they be? Please, please, please they didn’t bail out on me.” Carmen sent a text to Nichole saying, “Hey! You guys stuck in traffic or something? Caught Brauny’s home run!”
The text transferred in record time to Nichole, who replied “Yeah. On the way!” Really, Nichole shook her head in disbelief. “Guys, we gotta go. Carmen just texted me, she wants us there.”
“Got the keys.” Quinn held up the keys with one finger. A smirk drew across her face.
“I call shotgun!” Lucia raised her hand and jumped up as if she was back in Kindergarten.
“Aw, come on!” Nichole flailed her arms and smiled.

It took 25 minutes and an ample amount of patience and dignity, but eventually Quinn, Lucia and Nichole made their way to Miller Park. Just then, a sudden shriek from the distance caught their attention.
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” It was the sound of Carmen. Quinn rolled her eyes out of sight, then faked a smile at her older sister.
“How ya doin, Carmen?” Quinn said in her happiest voice as her and her friends walked up to their seating. Contrary to her tone, Quinn hated Carmen’s guts. Carmen annoyed the heck out of her and she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind to her sister. Quinn and Carmen were complete opposites and it showed.
Carmen held a baseball glove in her right hand. In it was a baseball, which she gladly showed off to Quinn, Lucia and Nichole. “Look what I got!” Carmen shook the glove in her hand like a dance move. “This is Ryan Braun’s home run he batted tonight. Look at the score!” Quinn turned to see the scoreboard read 4-1 for the Brewers.
“Nice.” Quinn remarked.
Just as the three were taking their seats, a familiar song played from the park’s speakers. It was The Walker by Fitz and The Tantrums. The announced blared, “Up to bat, #22, Christian Yelich!”
Carmen screamed, “Ahhh! That’s my friend! Whoo!” She then bragged to everyone surrounding her, saying “That’s my friend!” redundantly.
Quinn sighed. She responded to Carmen saying, “Just because you went to high school with him doesn’t make his friend.” Quinn crossed her arms.
Carmen replied, “You’re just jealous that you weren’t chosen to go to LA.” Carmen intentionally strung out the “jealous” to make Quinn even more angered.
Quinn was fuming at her sister. “Yeah, because I was in 5th grade! You’ve told that high school story for God knows how long!” Quinn’s voice got louder with each word.
“Guys, stop.” Nichole stated with her calming voice. “We don’t need this, especially because it’s my last day in Milwa-“ Nichole stopped dead in her tracks. Her dark skin turned pale. Her brown eyes bulged out of their sockets.
“What’s wrong, Nicky?” Lucia said, using her personal nickname for the troubled girl next to her.
“I- I- I forgot my flight back to Dallas.”
“What?” Lucia, Quinn and Carmen all said simultaneously. Quinn and Carmen both leaned out of their chairs to get a look at Nichole.
“Y-you’re joking, right?” Quinn said in an uncharacteristic voice.
“Nope. My alarm wasn’t on. I slept through it.” Nichole said, eyes filling with tears. Lucia hugged Nichole as she started to cry. “My first day starts on Monday.”
Quinn and Carmen looked at each other. Carmen checked her phone to see the time. 4:05 PM.
“Okay, we are going to find you a flight and get you back to Dallas, right, Quinn?” Carmen questioned.
Quinn answered, “Yes. That’s the main thing we’re focusing on right now. You know what, though? I could seriously go for some Chipotle.”
“Okay, that’s the main thing right now, but I’m dead serious on getting you a flight home.” Carmen said.
Nichole’s face shone through her tears. “You guys are the best.” Her red lips curled into a smile as she hugged her friends.
Just then, Carmen’s phone buzzed. It was Christian. Carmen then announced, “Um, I’m not gonna be at the house tonight.”
Lucia furrowed her brows. “Why?” She questioned.
Carmen’s face dropped down. “Christian asked me if I could come see him after the game.” Carmen’s mouth twisted.
“You know what? I’ll go let you have fun. Me and Lucia will find a flight for Nichole.” Quinn said with a smirk.

After 3 hours of non-stop baseball, the game finally ended in a victory for the Brewers. Carmen stood up. “Okay guys, see y’all later!” Carmen squealed.
Quinn waved and said ungenuinely, “Bye, Carmen!” When Carmen was out of earshot, Quinn remarked “She sucks, doesn’t she?”
Lucia answered Quinn with, “You’re right on that one, Quinnie.”
“Alright, let’s get back home.” Quinn, Lucia and Nichole stood up to their seats and walked to Quinn’s car to head back to Racine, where Quinn and Carmen lived.